Thieves
by IshizuWolfRider
Summary: In Ancient Egypt, there a mystical power only performed by the royals. A thief is torn between the people who took him in, and the person whom he thought he hated. A pharaoh fights for his family, and ends up wanting a new one. YAOI! EdxEnvy
1. Chapter 1

**If it isn't obvious, because I don't think it is, this takes place in Ancient Egypt. You know, with pharaohs and servants and, of course, thieves. Who's what you ask? Well, read to find out!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own FMA. If I did, well, let's just say I wouldn't be writing fanfiction.**

_Chapter One: Thieves' secrets_

"Ahhh."

Envy sighed as cold water ran down his body, relaxing him in the heat of the daytime. Long emerald strands of hair clung to his skin, free from its usual headband.

"Envy! Hurry up! We have to plan for tonight!" Lust, Envy's partner in thievery, practically shouted at him from the other side of the door.

As he lathered shampoo into his hair, Envy grinned to himself. Tonight was a _very_ special night.

Tonight, they were going to capture that bastard's brother.

The thief growled low in his throat, before forcing himself to calm down. If he got too worked up, he wouldn't be able to focus when the time was right. And he _had_ to focus in order to get his revenge.

Another impatient knock interrupted his thoughts.

Sighing and wishing he had more time for a personal life, Envy finished cleaning himself, then wrapped a towel around his waist, walking to his room located down the hallway.

Only in his room did Envy truly feel safe. There was one window, but it was always shut, locked, and had the curtains preventing any light from coming through. There was a medium sized bed lying in the corner, the one closest to the window and door.

If anyone happened to come in, he'd know immediately. Years of being a thief had sharpened his senses, and taught him to be a light sleeper.

There was also a small desk on one side of the room, a box of writing utensils sitting on top. There was one drawer in it, but it was locked. The only key was sewn on the inside of Envy's black headband.

At first glance, all that the drawer contained was a bunch of old plans and layouts of different places. But if someone were to dig just a little deeper, they'd find many entries detailing Envy's deep, personal thoughts and desires.

His desires…

A complex realm dreaming of escape, hoping to live freely someday, and a small wish for love.

He kept all of this hidden well, for even thieves have secrets they don't want anyone else to know.

**A/N: I know it's short, I'm sorry! I'm working on the second chapter, put it's so long since I'm using that chapter to clarify things about the group and stuff. Plus, I want to see the response I get to this. If you hate it, why should I continue? But if you like it, I'll try my best to update, even with school and everything.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Huu! I'm back. I know that this chapter is super long compared to last chapter, but I couldn't seem to just chop it off here. If I miss something, please tell me! **

_Chapter 2: Planning_

As Envy walked into the meeting room, which also served as their living room at the hideout, he felt six pairs of eyes glance at him. He was clad in his normal clothing: a black skort, a black short tank top, and his headband with the red triangle shape on it. Because of his appearance and lifestyle, Envy was one of the four thieves that actually lived at the hideout 24/7.

Of course, the ones that did leave were always careful, but were necessary to have in the open to be able to stock up on provisions and gather information. Together, they formed the Seven Sins, so named because of the sins they committed.

The others, the ones that stayed, were Greed, a man with sharp teeth and even sharper claws, whose job was to keep track of the stolen loot, Lust, a woman who made every man fall for her every time she swayed her hips, and was therefore too noticeable to walk in broad sunlight, and Gluttony, who was practically glued to Lust's side, as he had no personal plans of his own.

Pride, a black haired man who lost his eye in a fierce battle with a pharaoh, was the leader of the Seven Sins. In the daylight, he was a regular person, working hard for the good of Egypt and his family, but at night he transformed into Pride, and his true ambitions were realized. Sloth, a woman with chocolate brown hair and green eyes, was the second in command. At home, she was married to the human form of Pride, and their child was Wrath, the youngest of the Seven Sins, no more than a thirteen year old child with black hair who was still trying to reattach the umbilical cord.

Unfortunately, the trio had to hide their marks in the daylight, which was difficult in the scorching heat. In the Seven Sins, if you got accepted, you had to get a special tattoo wherever the others decided, and it showed that you were one of them. It was a symbol always printed in red, a print of a winged snake eating its own tail, creating a circle. Inside the circle was printed a six pointed star. Envy had in turn gotten his, but he remembered it being terribly painful.

Pride's was on his closed eye, which was hidden underneath the patch he wore except for when thieving. Sloth's was placed just under her shoulder in the front, which made it difficult to wear spaghetti strapped dresses or one shoulder dresses the other women normally wore. Wrath's wasn't difficult to hide, however, his was under his foot, which was troublesome only when he wanted to run outside barefooted.

Lust had hers right in the middle of her chest, Greed had his on the backs of his hands, and Gluttony around his gaping jaws. Envy's was placed on the outside of his left thigh. However, since they never left the hideout in the daytime, they took pride in showing them off.

When the Seven Sins had first banded together, it was only Pride, Greed, and Lust who were there. They resolved to find more members, but no more than seven. Lust brought in her miserable friend, who would have found out anyway since he would never leave her side except to eat. Pride told his pregnant wife about it, and she'd immediately joined despite her expectancy and laziness. When their child was born, a baby boy with a fierce temper, they'd brought him in and given him the title of Wrath. And when Greed, stumbling half-drunk around the city found a fed-up little boy in an alleyway, muttering curses to himself and damning the pharaoh, Greed knew he'd found the last member of the Seven Sins.

After getting past the barriers the boy had futilely put up, the group saw his envious nature of the Royal Family, resulting in his name. After he agreed to join, they'd strapped him down and given him the tattoo. There was no need for the bonds, for he hadn't struggled or even winced in pain as they drew the colored picture.

There was a golden rule, one to be feared: once you were in, you were in for life. A betrayal was death. Luckily, no one had tested them and so, naturally, the group was the same as it was when they first started.

Almost every night, the group went out thieving, always to be back by morning so the others could lead their normal lives. Tonight though, was the biggest prize. They were planning to take the pharaoh's little brother, and get a ransom for him. But not just money either. The Seven Sins wanted power as well.

"Nice of you to join us Envy." Lust cooed, her velvet voice irritating Envy's ears.

He hummed a reply, and took a glance at the map of the palace before them. After a few seconds of studying, he looked up at Pride, signaling with his amethyst eyes to continue where he left off.

As Pride continued to talk and order, Envy sighed mentally. He didn't really want to steal from the palace, but that damn citadel and everyone living in it was what got him here in the first place! He smirked as he imagined the look on the pharaoh's face when he found out about his brother. The very idea of causing the pharaoh such mental pain made him want to laugh out loud.

Still looking aloof on the outside, Envy tuned in to the plan, getting a vague idea and already picturing escape routes if need be.

**Okay, I think I did better here. Please don't kill me. I realize that there's very little dialogue, but there will be more I promise. Not much yaoi yet is there either? Huh. Well, I'll just have to fix that. The next couple chapters will still be mostly plot and adventure. Sorry, but I want to make it a story, not just yaoi. Please review and give me advice.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey! I'm back again. Yes, if you people can't tell the pairing yet…geez you're a little bit slow. Ok maybe not, since I've only mentioned a couple characters. So I'll write them out for you wonderful reviewers glares at people who didn't review**

**Pairings: EnvyxEd (duh! That's the main pairing here! No likey, no readey)**

**AlxWinry (no, Winry will not have a wrench here. I don't think this is in any way like the old Winry. Maybe a little, but I haven't exactly written about her yet, so don't expect much fluff about this pairing.)**

**RoyxRiza (Similar but different to the actual series. This pairing is still pending, but they are adorable. I kept laughing at the embarrassing moments and I cried at the end of the series.)**

**So I think that's it, I'm not entirely sure because I haven't written the whole thing out yet. Ok, I'm done babbling.**

_Chapter 3: Thieving_

It was pitch black, the full silver moon the only source of light for their path. Always decked out in black outfits, one could hardly tell where the person ended and the black horses began.

Without a word five of the Seven Sins galloped in silence, leaving Gluttony and Wrath behind. They traveled in a tight formation, heading for the river. Once they got there, they would walk in the river until they ended up at the side of the palace, entering through the back by scaling the walls.

Envy's skin prickled with anticipation. With grappling hooks attached to their prey's balcony, Envy, Pride, Sloth and Greed began to ascend the wall. Lust would stay behind to keep watch.

Hidden in the shadows, all that was heard was the soft sound of the young man's sleeping breaths. Light golden-brown hair peeked out from the covers, the short locks moving as the boy twisted and turned in his sleep.

When all was still once more, Sloth crept forward slowly, a rag in her right hand. The other three trailed behind as well, holding thin ropes at the ready. Without knowing it, the resting male slipped from sleep to unconsciousness, the strange chemicals on the cloth inhaled into his body as he breathed.

Finally able to breathe slightly, the four thieves tied the rope around his sleeping form, binding his arms to his sides so he wouldn't be able to perform alchemy. Leaving the others to carry the near deadweight, Envy snuck back onto the balcony and peered around, looking for any sign of the palace inhabitants.

There was rustling sound, then a yawn and what sounded like metal clicking on tile.

Envy froze.

On the balcony positioned to the left and upwards of this one, a young man just barely older than his captive walked to the edge, looking out and staring around warily. Golden blonde hair fell a little past his shoulders, tousled from sleep.

_If he turns ever so slightly I'll be found out! But I can't move, or he'll sense it and turn around anyway!_ Envy thought frantically.

As he heard his teammates start to follow him, he inched one hand upwards a little bit and flexed his fingers, keeping his eyes glued to the predator that was stalking the balcony above.

They obviously got the message, and there was complete silence behind him. Unfortunately, the golden haired man's eyes swept from the horizon to the ground below, and he caught sight of the five horses and an unknowing Lust, who was diligently looking around her, not up.

With the other three still hidden in the dark room, Envy instinctively dived for cover of a nearby plant, the momentary distraction all he needed to get out of plain sight.

When he looked up again, the golden prowler was gone, and there was a rush of panic coursing through his body as he faintly heard a door open. Trying to stay calm and collected he told Pride what had happened. "There are people coming to investigate, I'm sure of it! We have to leave now if we're to escape."

When Pride nodded the affirmative, Envy jumped and began to scurry down the rope, when he noticed a back door burst open below. Soldiers poured out, as well as the blonde from before.

Alarmed, Lust took a subtle glance upwards as she jumped on one of the horses, calling to the other horses with a honey-sweet voice. The men shouted at her to stop, but Lust merely ignored them as she circled around, trying to figure out what to do. She kept singing, raising her voice slightly so the other men could hear her. Her unspoken plan was obvious to the four Sins: she planned to lull the men by arousing them so they couldn't focus properly.

As she continued with her display, the blonde was not affected nor amused. He clapped his hands together when he realized her intent, and slammed them down onto the ground, trying to capture her.

As the stone wall began to rise out of the sand, Envy, being the closest, jumped the rest of the way to the ground, landing on all fours. Within several seconds, he had run at full speed at the blonde, and rammed unceremoniously into his back, toppling over the flaxen-haired man and stopping his transmutation.

As the two wrestled on the ground, the other Sins had run across to their own horses, the soldiers too dazed to do anything. Pride slung their hostage over his horse, and without a glance back at Envy began to race towards the river, evaporating into the shadows.

Thinking that the blonde beneath him was dazed for a moment, Envy began to run, trying to escape before he was caught. He was only a few feet from the river; if he could just dive into it he'd be safe. Then he'd meet up with the others back at the hideout and everything would be—

His thoughts stopped abruptly as blue-white lightning raced around him, forming a sand hand and wrapping around his body. Envy fell to the ground, trapped. He wiggled, trying desperately to reach the water. He was just a few more steps away—

Envy stopped. Just there, hidden in the shadows, barely visible from this distance, stood a lone black horse. A rider clothed in black sat astride the horse, looking directly at him, staring at him with one right eye.

Envy's mouth opened, ready to call out for help, but the words wouldn't come. Pride smirked and turned away, the lifeless form of the pharaoh's brother swinging limply. Envy glared at his back, anger boiling inside of him. He made a promise to himself to get back at Pride for this, if he ever got out.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

The green-haired boy had been silent and relaxed the whole way back to the castle, his eyes blank. He seemed to be in a state of shock. Just before they went inside however, he began to struggle furiously and screaming his head off, startling the blonde and the two guards carrying him.

"Pride! I'll get you back for this! You no good bastard!" The boy continued ranting, and the others glanced back in the direction he was yelling to, only to see nothing. Just the rolling sand hills.

They knew not who he was yelling to, or what he was so angry about, but they did know that he was livid now, and ready to kill anyone who got too close, as well as the fair-haired man. He might have looked calm, but he was really a volcano ready to burst.

**Okay folks! Chapter 3 done. Finally! I have many chapters already written, I just have to type them! But you know….. if I had a couple of reviews, say, ten, I'll update faster! But please, while just saying that my story is nice, tell me what you especially liked or disliked. I want to know what I should put more of in or shouldn't do. Thanks!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Back. If I mess up on spelling or grammar, please tell me. Thanks for the few reviewers. I am grateful to you. Also, please me what you liked or disliked in your review. It would help.**

_Chapter 4: Caught_

_Damn._ Envy thought. _Why did I stop there?_

Perhaps it was the true beauty of the alchemical powers that stunned him. Or perhaps it was fear of having that temper directed at him. Danger always excited him, gave him a thrill, which was another reason for him to steal.

The thrill of being caught.

And now he _had_ been caught, and those bastards he called teammates didn't even look back. They'd gotten their prize, the pharaoh's brother, and then of course nothing else mattered.

_If it were Sloth or Pride they'd turn back immediately._ Envy thought bitterly.

Jolted back to the present, out of his musings, the thief registered a whirl of blond, red and black, and screamed words coming from said whirl.

"I DON'T CARE THAT IT'S THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT! MY BROTHER WAS JUST CAPTURED! GO FOLLOW THEM!"

_Ah. So that's the pharaoh. He's kinda short for a king isn't he?_ Envy smirked, which unfortunately dragged attention from the pharaoh. Envy kept his grin as molten gold eyes stared angrily at him. After glaring heatedly for a few minutes, the blonde turned his head back to the nervous servant standing in front of him. "Could you wake Roy for me? Tell him it's urgent."

With an edgy nod the servant bowed, turned and dashed as fast as she possibly could without being insulting through the door.

When the yellow-eyed boy turned back to him, Envy felt his alarm system go off. The eyes clearly detailed the feelings of the pharaoh, and Envy could see worry and love for his brother, but anger that rivaled Wrath's covered it up, and was directed solely at him.

At a nod from the blonde, the guards left, making sure to lock the doors. The green haired boy looked around the room, trying to see if it was possible he could still escape.

While he was looking, the boy had moved closer. Envy didn't even notice until he heard the voice of the pharaoh. "You bastards."

Envy's attention turned back to the blonde chibi in front of him. "Why do you hate us? We haven't done anything to you. Whatever my father did is done. I can try my best to fix his mistakes, but you can't still be angry at him. He's already dead." The pharaoh's voice held no sorrow for Hohenheim's death.

"You should have just taken me. Not Alphonse. You should have just taken me!"

The boy's hand found its way around Envy's neck, freezing cold against his skin. Envy barely had time to register that it was automail before more screaming nearly broke his eardrums.

"Tell me where you took Al! Give me back my brother!"

At that moment, the door burst open with an explosion, courtesy of a black haired man with white gloves on his poised hands. The gloves were embroidered with an intricate red circle, probably for his alchemy.

The pharaoh swung around, his hand clenching slightly in surprise. "Roy!" he exclaimed. "Did you have to destroy the door?"

Roy looked at the damage and shrugged. "I knocked several times, and when I tried to get in, the door was locked. The only way to get in was to blow it up." He took an offensive stance. "Don't you know it's rude to summon someone from their bed and then not answer the door?"

"It's not my fault. I was talking to him." The pharaoh gestured with his automail, still unconsciously cutting off the air supply to his prisoner. "Anyway, I need your help. We need to look for Alphonse."

"Well, well, the _shorty _finally needs help. Should I get your stool for you?"

In the blink of an eye, the restricting metal was gone, but the whirl of death had returned, and this time it was aimed at Roy.

"WHO'RE YOU CALLING SO SMALL THAT HE COULDN'T EVEN CLIMB ONE STAIR?!" The blonde tried to land a punch on Roy's shoulder, being careful to use his real hand. Easily blocking, Roy just smirked slightly. "Now what about Alphonse?"

Golden eyes immediately froze. He relaxed his fighting stance, stepping back a few paces. "I have to leave immediately. I'll explain everything on the way. Come with me?"

Roy nodded. "Of course."

Completely forgetting about Envy, the two men left the room.

**Ha ha! Small cliffie for you!! Blame the non-reviewers, but I figured since I got this written, I should put it up because everything's so short. Sorry about that! Please review, and I'll write faster!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Maa, maa. It's been a while ne? Sorry. So, as compensation, I'm uploading two chapters now. Just this once! I left you with a half-cliffhanger, and that's not really fair is it? Oh well. Enjoy.**

_Chapter 5: Escape_

Envy couldn't believe his luck! Unbound, no guards, and a window just begging to be broken. With a last look around the room, Envy ran at the window, slamming into it with his left shoulder. That was his first mistake. Breaking the glass caused him to drive shards of glass into skin. As the crimson blood flowed down his arm, soaking into his clothes, Envy was already pulling down the white linen curtains to use as a rope.

Just as he finished securing the curtain to one of the nearby pillars, the guards arrived, two…women? Yes, a blonde and a brunette, the blonde holding a loaded pistol and the brunette with her hands poised to clap. They looked fierce; even Envy could tell they wouldn't hesitate to attack.

"Stay right where you are," the blonde hissed in a commanding voice. "Unless you want a bullet in your side." The woman at her side nodded in confirmation, her eyes practically gleaming.

For a fraction of a second, Envy actually considered obeying. Then the thief instincts took on and he swiftly back-flipped, his hands pushing off the sill as he pushed his body out of the window.

Several shots were fired, all of them hitting their mark on his skin but not one actually aimed for anything that could permanently harm him. Still, he managed to grab onto the rope of curtain as he slid downwards, thinking himself safe for now.

Unexpectedly, blue alchemic lightning flashed down the wall beside him, forming a large hand out of the wall. Envy knew he was trapped, and, in a last line of self defense, let go of the cloth he was holding, hoping to fall and die.

To him, anything was better than having to live as the pharaoh's prisoner. He imagined the caged people being tortured, and he would rather die than have to experience agony by the royals.

As his luck would have it, he fell onto his back on the hand, but he didn't die, nor did he seem to break anything. His eyes had little black spots flying around and his left shoulder was throbbing; it appeared that he had dug the shards in deeper.

The hand started to rise upwards, bringing him back towards the frightening women. Before he could even see them however, the black spots at the edges of his vision became bigger, and he fell unconscious.

**Hmm, so what'cha think? Any good? Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Second chapter, as promised.**

_Chapter 6: Truth and Reminiscence_

Envy awoke to cold darkness, but he immediately sensed that there was someone nearby. Flickering torches dimly lit the room, but not enough to actually see perfectly. He held his breath, waiting to see who would appear.

Then he heard it. The soft clinking of metal against stone, accompanied by murmured curses and words.

A warm blanket was spread over his body in one fluid movement, heated by the body of the pharaoh. Once it settled, Envy heard him go over to his left side, gently repositioning him so the pharaoh could look at the wound that was located on his shoulder.

There was a wet sound, like something dripping, and warm droplets ran down his back as the pharaoh took hold of one of the glass shards embedded in his skin, attempting to pull it out.

Envy instinctively tensed, biting back any sounds of pain. "What are you doing here, _pharaoh_?" He spat the word as if it had a vile taste to it.

The blonde paused momentarily, before returning to his task. "I don't want this to be infected." He replied. "And you've scared everyone else too much to even come close to you."

"Save your pity and your mercy. I don't want it."

"I pity no one." Came the harsh reply. "And this is not mercy. Despite what you believe, I am not cruel." Another shard freed itself, and Envy could feel crimson blood blend with water. Envy didn't even flinch.

The continued sitting in silence, the blonde continuing to pull out glass and dab at the blood while the thief sat as still as he could, biting his lip to keep from crying out. "One left." The chibi finally spoke. "But it the farthest. It's gonna hurt like hell."

Envy merely nodded for him to continue.

It took several minutes to dig it out, but when it finally was out, Envy breathed a silent sigh. The washcloth dipped into the water again and began to wash the open gash. After that, the pharaoh wrapped a bandage, around Envy's arm and shoulder, staunching the blood.

When the torture was over, the pharaoh heaved a great sigh, watching with disdain as the washcloth seemed to have been died red. He stood up, watching as the thief disappeared under the blanket, only the very tips of his hair seen from the edges. "I'll be back later with some food." He said.

There was no answer, and he didn't expect one.

Resisting the urge to run back and beat some sense into him, the pharaoh turned and walked up the stairs where a group of people stood waiting for him. They all searched his body critically, making sure there was not even a scratch on him. All of them had obviously been listening at the door.

"I'm fine!" he snapped, irritated. The group breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"Good! If that 'thief' _had_ done something, he would pay dearly." Izumi, one of the priestesses threatened. She had black hair that was pulled into dreadlocks and then into a ponytail. Her eyes matched her hair and shone with confidence.

The pharaoh just made a humming noise, and continued on his way, leaving the group to do whatever, his red coat swishing behind him. Entering the kitchen, the blonde greeted the head chef. "Morning Gracia." She wasn't a slave herself, but she liked to cook, especially for her husband, Maes Hughes.

"Good morning Edward." Edward. Not 'pharaoh' or 'Your Highness' or the other names people like to call him. That was one of the reasons why Edward liked coming here so often. Gracia always managed to make him just a little bit happier by calling him by his name. Although he'd really prefer it if she called him Ed.

Gracia turned around, her stomach bulging out in her pregnancy. She smiled at him. "Hungry? What would you like to eat for breakfast?"

Edward shrugged. "Anything is fine."

Gracia smiled again, her hand absently rubbing her stomach. "How does pancakes sound?" she asked.

"Delicious!" his statement was verified by his stomach growling loudly. He blushed slightly, embarrassed, but the woman merely laughed it off. "It'll be about an hour, ok? Would you like a snack before then?"

"Yes please!"

Gracia busied herself, placing some bread over coals to toast them before getting out the ingredients to make the pancake batter. When the bread was done, she pulled it out and placed it on a small china plate, setting it before Ed.

"Thanks." Edward devoured it quickly, then returning to his previous activity of watching Gracia prepare the food. He observed as she added flour, milk, eggs, butter, and a variety of other ingredients into a large clay bowl, obviously planning to feed the others as well.

Maes wandered in at one point, going up to his wife and wrapping his arms as far as he could around her waist, nuzzling her cheek gently. Thoroughly embarrassed by this public display of affection in front of him, Edward stuttered out a good-bye and left.

Ed drifted through the halls, lost in his own thoughts. He and Roy were unable to rescue Alphonse, leaving Edward in a heavy state of guilt. They hadn't ever really been apart, and after their mother's death Edward had always taken care of Alphonse.

Their father, Hohenheim, was the previous pharaoh. Many people had hated him, including Edward. He had led everyone into a depression, casting most people into slavery while he made money.

At last, Hohenheim was assassinated. By whom, no one knew, but everyone was eternally grateful. At 16, Edward was appointed the new pharaoh, and now, 5 years later, Egypt was prospering again.

Almost everyone was happy, and Ed tried his hardest to fix the problems people had. There was very little crime, and as far as he knew, he hadn't done anything to piss anyone off. So what made the green-haired boy hate him so much?

_And why Alphonse? Why did they take him?!_ Edward slammed his right fist into a nearby pillar, halting his steps as the pillar cracked under the force.

The automail.

The only reason he had this was because father's own stupidity!

/Flashback/

"Edward, I want you to lead half of the troops, and Alphonse to lead the other half." Hohenheim said. It was during a small war, people rebelling against the kingdom. Unable to go against his father's wishes, Edward obeyed, but he hated bringing along his brother, because that meant he was putting Alphonse in danger.

During one of the battles, the golden-haired boy saw an ambush approaching behind his brother's back. Just as they shot of alchemical spikes, Ed jumped in the line of fire, the blocks of stone especially hitting his right arm and left leg.

He'd acted without thinking again, but he never regretted it. He never would have been able to live without his brother.

/End Flashback/

Jerking himself out of his nostalgia, Edward realized he'd been standing the hallway for quite a while. With his automail still embedded in the stone pillar, he was getting several curious looks from the passing servants, though they didn't dare disturb their pharaoh when he was thinking.

Looking nonchalant, Ed clapped his hands together to form a circle and pressed them against the cracked column, fixing it instantly. There were several murmurs of appreciation, but he ignored them as he walked away, heading towards one of the gardens.

He sat down on one of the constructed benches, admiring the flowers in full bloom. He still had no idea where Alphonse was. Another jolt of nostalgia hit him, this time remembering how his brother had held him during the end battle, reprimanding him even with tears running tracks down his face.

/Flashback/

"Brother! You shouldn't have done that!" Al's green eyes were filled with tears as he cradled his brother's head in his lap. Edward's eyes were half glazed over as he looked up at Al.

"Heh. Couldn't let them…" he broke off as he coughed violently. Alarmed, Alphonse practically screamed at the men. "Get the paramedics! Hurry up!"

Several men left to obey, but the rest gathered around their fallen leaders. With a ring around them to defend, the other soldiers spread outwards to attack. Infuriated at the dirty trick on their future kings, they seemed even stronger than before, and more invincible.

Surprisingly, this had given them the upper hand and allowed them to win the war, and although Hohenheim congratulated them on their victory, Edward's hate for him only grew. Shortly after they returned home, Ed had been fitted with automail.

/End Flashback/

"Sir?" Ed looked up. A nervous slave stood before him, the same one he had been yelling at earlier in the morning.

"What is it? Have they found Alphonse?" search parties were still out searching for the thieves' hideout, but they were obviously professionals. There were no tracks left of them.

The slave shook her head sadly. "No, I'm afraid not." She watched with sadness as the light in the golden eyes faded. "Miss Gracia told me to come tell you breakfast is ready."

"Right. Thanks." Edward stood up and started to walk away when he suddenly turned. "Wait!" he called to the girl's retreating back.

She turned, pale blonde hair swishing in her high ponytail. She stepped closer so they wouldn't have to shout. "Yes?"

Golden orbs narrowed slightly. "What's your name?"

"Winry, sir. Winry Rockbell."

"Rockbell." He muttered to himself. "I've heard that name before." Suddenly it struck him. "Are you related to James and Sarah Rockbell?"

"Yes sir. They were my parents."

At that moment, everything seemed to freeze. Sarah and James Rockbell were the two surgeons who performed the automail surgery on the young pharaoh. Unfortunately, they were killed just the surgery, and only just now had Edward even thought that they had had children. They never mentioned her, too preoccupied with his problem.

/Flashback/

"It's still bleeding! At this rate, the only way for him to survive is to risk the surgery now!" Sarah was worried. The 15 year old boy was unconscious, his right arm cut off at the shoulder and his left leg amputated just above the knee. The wanted to wait for the blood to stop flowing before they performed the surgery, but it just wouldn't stop.

With the last bit of color draining from the young man's face, Sarah knew they had little time.

"We'll just have to do it now then." James concluded.

Sarah nodded in consent, and they began the grueling process of making a port for the automail. Luckily, the golden-haired boy had the best automail mechanics in Egypt, even if he had no idea what was going on. He had fallen unconscious shortly after returning to the palace.

Without even thinking of the consequences of their actions, they continued to work, almost in a routine.

Unknown to them, Death awaited them in their chambers, in the form of a green-haired teen in a skort. (A/N: if you can't figure this out, please go back to the beginning of the whole story and reread _very_ carefully.)

/End Flashback/

A toll bell began to ring, drawing the attention of both blondes. Winry's eyes widened, and she snapped back to the pharaoh, only to see his retreating red jacket. She stared at the black symbol on the back, imprinting it into her brain before turning and running towards the slave quarters.

**So that's chapter 6! Please review! Also, if anyone knows the true names of Winry's parents, please tell. I don't think they mention it, so I made them up.**


	7. Chapter 7

_Chapter 7: Sickness_

When he arrived in the dining room, Edward found that everyone had gotten there already. As he took his place at the table, the other people briefly stopped their conversations to greet him. There was a sharp pain in his chest as there was one chair empty.

A chair usually occupied by Alphonse.

Shaking his head to rid himself of those thoughts, he watched as the kitchen doors burst open, servants pouring out, their arms laden with food.

Breakfast passed in a haze, Edward wolfing down his food like there was no tomorrow, as usual. He might have talked to people, but he really couldn't recall. When Ed finally stopped eating, a servant stepped forward to collect his plate. He waved her off, and went to return the plate himself. Everyone else had long ago excused themselves and left, off to their normal duties in the castle.

"Gracia?" the pharaoh called into the kitchen, scanning the crowd of servants for the pregnant woman. He found her by the sink, helping a blonde servant wash dishes. When said blonde turned her head in response to his voice, streaks of recognition flashed through her eyes. She dipped her head respectfully before turning back to her task.

"Are there any leftovers I could take with me?" he asked Gracia.

Gracia nodded, leading the way towards the dishes that had held the uneaten food. She had heard from Winry what had happened before breakfast, and she had heard about Alphonse from Maes, who heard from Roy. Gossip spread through the castle like a sandstorm, all the rumors flew everywhere.

Gracia placed the still warm food on a tray, and put a silver cover on top. She also got a clay pitcher filled with water and a cup, and passed it to Ed.

Edward smiled gratefully. "Thanks."

Gracia turned half-worried eyes on him. She knew what he was going to do. "Be careful. Please?"

With an affirmative nod, the pharaoh left, stunning red coat swishing behind him. When he arrived at the cell, Edward found an alert Armstrong, one of the Generals. He deadpanned.

"General Armstrong! I'll take over for now!"

"Ah, Young Edward! How wonderful to see you again." He said in a booming voice.

Setting the tray on the floor, Ed clapped his hands and touched the door, unlocking it instantly. "How was he?" he asked quietly.

"Completely silent. I assumed he was sleeping."

Ed nodded, moving quietly so as not to awaken the sleeping boy. He gently lifted up a corner of the blanket, only to be startled by half lidded amethyst eyes.

_Wait, half lidded eyes? That means either a drunk or…_

"Shit!" Ed cursed. He practically tore the bandage of the green-haired boy's shoulder, and grimaced at the sight.

The glass wound, which should have been slightly better by now, had turned horrible. The flesh around it had turned slightly green, and the opening oozed yellow pus and crimson blood. It was infected.

"Armstrong! Help me carry him! We need to get him upstairs to an infirmary now!"

**He he! Cliffie for you! Think of it as payback for all you non-reviewers. So for everyone that did review, sorry for this. But you can get back at the non-reviewers and get them to review! Hmm, just kidding, I guess. I'm working on the chapters now. Please review!**

----Editors note!

Nooo!!! I wanna know what happened to Envy! People, please review and find out what happens next! Reviewing will get Ish to hurry up and update faster!!! Review and you might get a cookie. Peace Far.


	8. Chapter 8

**Here, I updated. I'm sorry! I've been a little sick lately, so I haven't been feeling too well…… But that's no excuse! I will try my hardest to keep updating! And make some progress in the plot here. Eh heh heh.**

_Chapter 8: Treatment_

Envy moaned, his whole body ached and hurt. Opening his eyes took a great deal of effort, but he did it anyway. A feeling that was almost fear had crept up his throat, warning him to be on his guard. He sensed he was not it the cell anymore, and that there were more people in the room than before. There were hushed voices, most of which he could not identify.

_Move._ Envy told himself. _Move! They think I'm helpless, but they've got another thing coming!_

Using his uninjured arm, Envy heaved his body into a sitting position with a small, almost inaudible grunt. Violet eyes glared at every person in the room, memorizing their faces in a second.

Eight people stood in the room, including the pharaoh. He also recognized the two women that had recaptured him, that Roy character, and the big muscled man from before.

Envy made a move to get up, and nearly cringed at the pain. His shoulder burned fire throughout his body; it hurt worse than when he got the tattoo on his thigh. He closed his eyes, trying to even his breathing.

In one moment, there were two gentle hands at his side, one warm, one cold. A warm body kneeled behind him on the bed, supporting him discreetly. Nimble fingers undid the knot of the wrappings at his shoulder, gently touching the newly exposed flesh.

"You reopened the wound again." The voice was sarcastic, disdainful, but it was welcomed, and Envy could just barely hear the disguised worry. "I'll be right back. Don't move!" The second part was an ordered hiss, reminding the Sin that he was still prisoner here.

The pharaoh then wandered out, muttering softly to himself.

Envy redirected his attention. Until the blonde chibi returned, it seemed as if there was nothing else to do but glare at the other people in the room. So he stared.

No one said anything. They didn't have to.

The royals' eyes clearly depicted one message: 'Tell us where your hideout is, and leave us alone.' Envy smirked, watching with amusement as fire burned in their eyes. He matched their gazes evenly, listening intently for the clicking of metal on tile.

The pharaoh returned at last, breaking up the contest with just his presence. The others quickly excused themselves and left, leaving the two alone. Envy's smirk grew into a maniac-like grin. _Cowards._ He thought.

"What are you so happy about?" Envy turned at the snap, mirroring the pharaoh's frown. They glared at each other, gold and amethyst eyes clashing.

Envy finally looked away, glaring at the blanket like he was going to burn a hole in it. That small move was consent for the blonde to come closer, to treat him. The fair-haired man had been standing in the doorway, but moved forward slowly now, as one would do with a dangerous, frightened animal.

His footsteps, quiet and gentle, were somewhat soothing to the thief. However, no amount of calming could prepare him for the pharaoh's next words.

"I need you to lie on your stomach."

His eyes snapped back to those equal to liquid gold, his body stiffening and tensing despite the burning pain. In Envy's eyes, he was weaker if he was lying down at all. It'd be harder to get up and run away, or to escape in this case. No matter how much he hated the other Sins right now, they still held his place in the world. If he didn't get back soon, they would think he was dead, and possibly replace him. If he ever escaped after they did replace him, they could find out, and kill him if he was weaker than the other.

It wasn't like he was afraid of death. Oh no, he had killed more people and had more brushes with death than he cared to think about. But he hadn't gotten his revenge yet, and he wouldn't let go of it so easily. That was his sin.

Reluctantly he complied, allowing the pharaoh to care for his wound. He knew he'd be forced to anyway. It was a no-win situation. When he felt the blonde sit partially on the bed, however, he discovered another secret.

The pharaoh's left leg was automail too.

Envy smirked slightly into his folded arms. That explained the odd clicking he heard when the pharaoh walked, even when he wore the heavy black boots.

They sat in silence, the blonde applying a healing salve while the green-haired boy tried to refrain from running. The feeling of a stranger's hands on his skin, even if he was trying to help, was repulsive, and unwelcome. Even so, Envy felt himself relaxing with weariness, too tired to object as the hands slowed, done with their task. He didn't notice as a blanket was spread over his body.

_No. Definitely not welcome._ Envy thought, his eyes slipping closed as he drifted off to sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

------Editors note!

Ack, I'm…dying from…the shortness…of this chapter…but, I'm better now. You know what would make this story better? A hot and heavy kissing scene. But, that just may be my mind. Now, I'm NOT promising anything, but if you review you may get one. A hot and heavy kissing scene that is! And if you're a pervert like me, who spends their Saturday night staying up late reading yaoi fanfiction, you'll want one too! And don't forget to thanks Ish for getting the chapters up quickly! God knows I haven't updated my stories for ages! THANK HER! Peace Far.

**Awww, Panic! Well, a 'hot and heavy kissing scene' eh? Eventually I promise. I'm trying as hard as I can to think up ideas, to kick off the yaoi goodness ya'know? But, I'm sick, I have homework to do, and school is trying to kill me. I'm sorry this chapter is short. I'll try to get the next one up as soon as I can. And yes, I'll try to make some good scenes……….**

**Ah well. Eventually, I promise! R&R!**

**--Ish**


	9. Chapter 9

_Chapter 9: Realization_

The pain had abated somewhat when Envy opened his eyes again. It was dark around him, and when he glanced at the window, he realized that it was night. He also realized that the door was locked, the window barred, and that he was not alone in the room. A figure slept on a bed on the other side of the room, facing away from him. The figure rolled over, and two glints flickered in the light of the setting moon. Envy looked closer, curious.

The pharaoh slept peacefully, anger and frustration absent from his face. His golden hair was splayed out behind him, automail resting heavily at his side. In the pale light, he looked almost angelic, with not a care in the world.

Envy turned to go investigate a door that he assumed led to the bathroom, but saw the pharaoh shifting again and stopped. Somehow the blonde managed to not get sick, for he slept with his stomach out. In a rare moment of kindness, the Sin gently covered up the sleeping boy, then opened the door. As he suspected, it was a bathroom. With one last glance back at the sleeping person, he stripped and closed the door behind him.

He took a moderately warm shower, relishing the feeling of pure water running over his skin. His hair darkened with the water, turning it almost black. Glancing around the shower shelves he smirked once again. He'd just borrow the things he needed.

When he finished, he pulled back the shower curtain and squeezed some of the excess water out of his hair. Suddenly he stopped. His body tensed, sensing something was different. Then he saw it. On the edge of the sink sat a fluffy white towel, something that wasn't there before. He also noticed a folded piece of paper resting on top. Wrapping the towel around his waist, Envy picked up the letter, unfolding it curiously.

_I've gone out to look for my brother. Your clothes are being washed, and servants will bring food. By the way, the door is locked and the glass on the windows is thickened. I'll be back in a couple of hours._

_Ed Elric_

'Ah. So his name is Ed.' Envy mused to himself. 'Well, what am I supposed to do for several hours? And why the hell did he take my clothes?!' It suddenly dawned on him. The key was in his headband. And they took his clothes…

"Shit!" Envy cursed. Not that anyone would know what it opened, or how important it was, but it was just an uncomfortable feeling. Hell, he kept it in his headband for a reason! If he kept it anywhere else, it was too easily found or lost.

Well, there was nothing he could do. Just wait for something to happen. Slightly tired, and with nothing better to do, Envy crawled back under the covers, still wrapped only in a towel, and fell back asleep.

XXXXX

Envy awoke once more to the sound of the door opening. He decided to keep his eyes closed, just in case it was an unwanted visitor. There were unsure footsteps approaching the bed, and then a small clatter as something was set on the floor. A quiet rustle indicated something being placed next to his head, and then the footsteps hurried out of the room, shutting the door gently.

He waited a few minutes, still sensing something that he knew he needed to be wary of.

"I know you're awake." A voice sounded throughout the room, and Envy would have jumped if he hadn't been prepared for something like this. He opened his eyes silently, his violet irises traveling over to watch as Roy stepped from the shadows. His arms were folded across his chest, dark obsidian eyes watching Envy's every move.

Envy shrugged to himself, pulling on his clothes that were deposited beside him. He glimpsed the wound on his shoulder, inspecting it carefully before pulling on his shirt, ignoring the pain as it snagged the tender flesh. Long pale fingers ran through his emerald hair as he glanced at the priest. "What?"

He received a glare in response, before the Flame decided to speak. "Why won't you just tell us where Alphonse is? Can't you see what it's doing to Edward?"

Envy smirked, pulling his headband down to his neck and readjusting it on his forehead. "Do you think I care about that bastard? Why should I?" His tone turned bitter as he stood up, his hands clenching into fists. "It's your entire fault anyway. It's your fault that I ended up in this hell of a job, so why should I give a damn about your problems?!"

"Shut up!" The brunette's eyes were blazing with barely contained fury. "You don't know what you're talking about! And Ed hasn't done anything to you! Ever since he came to power he's only tried to make everyone's lives better!"

"Key word: try. I don't see my life getting any better! And besides, this place could use a little tragedy. You guy's just _don't_ _care_ what happens to everyone el-!" Envy was abruptly cut off as a fist connected with his stomach, causing him to stagger backwards.

"You just don't get it, do you?! Edward cares about every single person that suffered under his father's rule, and keeps working to bring us out of this God-forsaken Hellhole!"

"Yeah!" Envy retaliated, getting to his feet and dodging to the side. Their voices had risen now, they were practically shouting at each other. "To make life better for himself!"

"Shut UP!" Roy snapped his fingers, the white gloves creating a spark that exploded and shot streams of fire towards the thief. He sidestepped out of the way, but Roy kept snapping, shouting at him all the while. "Edward isn't that selfish! He would never do something that was only beneficial to him!"

Flames licked around the walls, spreading slightly where they had hit the barrier only seconds after Envy had moved.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang. "Roy, stop!"

The door had burst open, revealing a breathless Edward, who quickly transmuted the rug on the floor into a pair of giant hands. The hands curled around both of them, halting their bodies' movements.

After struggling futilely for several minutes, Envy stopped and watched the pharaoh, who still knelt on the floor where he had first clapped. He was panting hard and strands of blonde hair clung to his face, as if he had run the whole way to the room. With a great sigh, he got up and walked over to the still smoldering walls, clapping his hands and fixing all the walls plus a bit of the floor, all at once.

Envy's eyes went wide with astonishment, then went back to their normal shape, even as his skin prickled with the tingly sensation the alchemy made as it whizzed past his arms.

"What happened?" The pharaoh's voice was strained, and he didn't face either of them, just kept moving about the room, fixing different things slowly as if he wanted to prolong facing them.

Envy realized his tone was directed towards Roy, and kept silent. He knew he wouldn't have been able to defend himself anyway. All his rage at Hohenheim, the previous pharaoh, the one who caused him so much pain, came out, and he had directed it at the new leaders, thinking that because they were of _his_ blood, and raised under _his _rule, they would be the same.

He barely listened as the raven haired man described their fight, but noticed that he didn't even try to act as if he were innocent. He told the whole truth, and even admitted that he was angry and probably provoked the whole fight.

The blonde stood thinking for a moment, leaning against a wall, his eyes hidden by his bangs, and then he clapped and released the two of them.

"Don't fight." Ed turned to face the open door to the bathroom, still not making eye contact. "I don't like it."

With that said, he went inside the bathroom, the wooden door slamming behind him. Roy sighed, then stood up and brushed himself off. He offered a hand to Envy, who only glared and scowled, getting up by himself. Roy shrugged, nodded in a way of saying goodbye and left.

The door shut, but Envy knew it wasn't locked. He heard the shower running, but it was only background noise as he kept replaying the fight over and over in his head.

_Ever since he came to power he's only tried to make everyone's lives better!_

_Edward cares about every single person that suffered under his father's rule and keeps working to bring us out of this God-forsaken Hellhole!_

Envy sat on the window sill above the bed, staring out at what looked like the gardens. He vaguely registered that Roy and a blonde woman sat under a shaded swing, moving slightly, talking quietly.

_Edward isn't that selfish! _

_He would never do something that was only beneficial to him!_

The thief continued to ponder on whether or not he was right, and came to a conclusion. A smirk grew on his face, and he began to plan his next move.

**Ugh. I don't like the way this ended. I couldn't think of how to piece together the next part, which I have written already, to this part. And, I am so sorry!!! Really! I got sick for about a week, and then I had writer's block, and then I had Midterms! I know that's no excuse, but still. That's what happened. I got sidetracked. sigh I'll try to be better. Ah well. Anything left to say, Panic?**

**First off: NOOO!!! What is Envy planning!! If, you want to find out what happens next, REVIEW! Review and I won't get out the alien I have under my bed and get it to eat your face!! I promise! But only if you review, ok? OK?!?!**

**Ha ha! Panic…shakes head ah well, I'm sorry again for leaving you with a cliffie, even though it's been so long. Builds up the suspense though ne?**


	10. Chapter 10

_Chapter 10: Going back_

"I'll take you there."

The blonde head turned to look at him, golden eyes narrowing. "What?" Ed was already dressed, and was busy plaiting his flaxen hair into a messy braid.

Envy bent over, picking up the tray that had been knocked over during his scuffle with Roy. "I'll take you to the hideout." He repeated. He gently set it on top of a dresser.

"Why?"

Envy looked up, his eyes meeting liquid gold. "Do I need a reason?" He retorted, eyes and voice cold. The pharaoh glared for a moment longer, then turned and began pulling out a box from underneath the bed, setting it on the mattress before sitting next to it. He opened it, pulling out a cloth and a bottle of machine oil, intending to clean his automail after getting it wet from his shower.

"When do you want to leave?" He asked the thief, knowing it would be best to let him plan everything out. The Sin sat on top of a table, crossing his long legs underneath him.

"I'd like to leave tonight. Everyone's only there at night, sometimes, so it'd be best to arrive then. You'd have a better chance of catching them all that way." Ed nodded, waiting for him to continue.

Envy was silent for a moment, hesitating. "I don't want to bring a lot of soldiers with us." He quickly explained, trying to calm the defensive eyes. "It's a desert. There's no foliage to hide in, and you have a better chance of sneaking up on them if there isn't a whole army charging at them. A party that large would be spotted a mile away."

After a few more moments, Ed went back to his task. He heard Envy just barely breathe a sigh of relief, before he continued explaining his idea.

Edward nodded at the end. He understood the plan, and he had no problem leaving most of his men behind, because he didn't want unnecessary casualties. He was just afraid the thief would leave him and then he'd never find his brother again. After all, you can't trust a thief.

His automail arm gleamed in the sunlight, all the way up to his elbow. Unable to reach up to his shoulder, he unbuttoned the black jacket he wore, shrugged it off, and then pulled off the black tank top underneath it.

Envy stared. Although the pharaoh's body was toned, several scars traced across his abdomen from the automail surgery, another constant reminder of the past. There were also lighter scars from what must have caused the actual injury. When the silver metal gleamed completely, Ed lowered his arm and bent down to roll up his left pant leg. He stopped just above his knee, but caught Envy staring.

"What are you looking at?" he snapped.

The violet-eyed boy shrugged innocently, then turned around and leaned backwards until he was hanging upside down, eyes closed, hands locked behind his head. He listened as Ed continued to clean the prosthetic limbs, his eyes still closed.

Finally he heard Ed stand up. "Come on." The blonde said impatiently. Envy opened his eyes, and upon seeing the pharaoh waiting for him, he placed his hands on the ground beneath his head, doing a back flip to land on his feet. He followed the other out, curious as to where they were going.

Edward answered Envy's unspoken question. "We're going to the stables, and if there's anything else we need, we should get that too." Envy merely nodded.

They passed through the gardens, and Envy hung back a few paces as Ed went up and talked to Roy and the blonde woman. They both nodded and stood up, Roy turning around and leaving immediately, but the blonde stopped short.

She stared directly at Envy, her red eyes holding neither hate nor like. In a fluid motion, she had moved, and Envy found himself staring right at a gun, the safety clicked to off. "Don't try anything funny. You do and…" She let the threat hang in the air, but it had no effect on the thief.

Envy just stared back, his gaze as even as ever. The female's eyes narrowed, and she looked as if she could kill him without a second thought.

"Riza! Come on! We're going to be late!" Roy called back to her. Riza gave one last glare towards the green-haired thief, then turned and stalked back to the palace, where Roy was waiting. The two men who had watched her leave, felt the air suddenly grow lighter, easier to breathe.

"Wow." Ed breathed. "You're pretty lucky to even be alive."

Envy's face remained in an emotionless mask, even though his insides were quivering. First Roy, and then Riza. Did everyone hate him that much?

"She's almost as scary as Teacher. Almost." He added with a grin. Then his face shifted, becoming all business. "Come on. Let's head to the stables."

XXXXX

"Go ahead. Pick whichever one you want." Ed gestured vaguely around the large corral, where numerous horses were grazing. They all looked well kept and happy, their coats gleaming. Envy watched as several horses lifted their heads to look at the newcomers.

"Ohayo, Mom." A chestnut colored mare with hazel eyes had walked up to them, and the pharaoh wrapped his arms around her neck, burying his head in her mane. Her own head turned to gently grasp Ed's messy braid between soft lips.

"Yeah. You always could do it better." He murmured. His head rose from her soft fur, golden eyes softhearted. "Mom, I'm sorry. I know I promised to keep Al safe. But I'm going to protect him now. Can you carry me once more? I know I'm heavier than before." The mare snorted gently, and nuzzled his cheek in reply.

Unable to take watching the completely different blonde, Envy wandered around the field, running his hand along the horses' sides as he passed. Sighing, he sat down near the fence, staring up at the slightly pink sky. A black and white pinto stallion grazed slowly up to him, thrusting his muzzle under Envy's hand. The thief complied, rubbing up and down the horse's cranium.

The thief stood up suddenly, picking up a handful of long grass. He began to walk back to where he last saw the pharaoh, making sure the horse was following. The short blonde wasn't anywhere in the corral, so Envy peeked in the stables. Inside, he gaped.

Ed was standing inside a stall, gently brushing the mare's brown fur. Her ears were perked towards his murmuring voice, listening. Her head lifted as she sensitive hearing picked up Envy's footsteps, along with the other horse's. Ever so gently, she pushed Edward backwards, signaling to him that there was someone else.

"Is that the one you like?" he asked, still comforted by the mare's presence. His eyes didn't hold the same fire it usually did. He seemed calmer, happier. Envy nodded, letting the pinto horse pull the grass out of his limp hand. Ed's eyes widened in awareness. "Mom, this is…umm…" he trailed off when he realized that he didn't even know the thief's name, shifting uncomfortably.

"Envy." He supplied helpfully. He ignored the embarrassed blonde, and instead picked up a brush of his own and began to groom the black and white stallion. Silence fell between the two, staying until sunset, when Roy, Riza, and about twenty other soldiers arrived, clad in armor and ready to fight.

Riza had two pistols, one on each hip, and a gun slung across her back. Roy had his hands in the pockets of his blue outfit, most likely concealing his alchemic gloves. The blue attire seemed to be a uniform, as all the soldiers, including Riza wore it. The only ones who didn't wear it were Envy, Ed, and a black-haired woman who walked right up to Ed.

"I'm coming with you." She told him boldly. She wore black cotton capris and a sleeveless white overcoat that served as her shirt and fell to her knees. Under her collarbone on her left side was a red tattoo, the same marking that was on Ed's jacket.

"But Teacher-" He started.

"Don't argue." She snapped, and walked away.

Envy glared after her. Her black eyes had said what Riza had in words. To 'not try anything funny' or 'betray them'. He growled softly to himself, thoroughly pissed. Did nobody trust him? His thoughts transferred to Pride, and how that bastard had left him to be captured, not even lifting a finger to help, even after Envy had helped them all escape.

_Lucky me._ Envy thought. _I get to go hunt down a traitor to retrieve a son of a traitor, with people who think _I_ will betray them. How wonderful._

He was brought from his thoughts as Ed began to explain the plan to the others. When he finished, Envy stepped up.

"One last thing. When the hideout comes into view, keep to the left side and wait there. The main room is on the right; my room is on the left. That's where we'll be. I'll flash a light twice, then start coming towards us. When you first come in, we'll attack." He ended his explanation, searching their eyes for questions. He found none, as most wouldn't even look at him normally.

He shrugged, and led the black and white horse out of the stables, mounting the stallion without saddle or bridle. He heard the pharaoh say one last thing to his soldiers. "Wait about twenty minutes, then start to come after us. And don't worry. He won't do anything."

As the blonde led his own mare out, saddled and bridled with care, Envy readjusted his headband to rest lower on his forehead, to keep the sand out of his eyes. Without even asking each other, the two took off.

Turning his head ever so slightly and looking back out of the corner of his eye, Envy saw three people had watched them go: Roy, Riza, and Ed's teacher. Their eyes seemed to be trained on him, making sure he couldn't do anything as long as he was within eyeshot.

Envy snorted, and concentrated on making sure they wouldn't loose their path, the blonde pharaoh following him. An inaudible sigh escaped the thief, burdened with thoughts of complete trust from so many people.

**Basically, Envy doesn't like responsibility. /Nods/ I know Ed's teacher is Izumi Curtis, but no one introduced her to Envy, so yeah, I didn't use her name yet. I think I did in chapter 2 or 3 ish…**

**So?! What did you think?! I think this is going along nicely. And I believe next chapter is the first one with a kiss in it/EEP!!/ It's nothing heavy, just something I decided would start the growing of affection in our two favorites' hearts. SO, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would like it very much!! And, I'd like to thank the people who still read this, despite my late updating of chapter 9. /Bows/**

**-- Editors Note!!**

**What's this?!?!? A kissing scene!!!! (Insert happy dance here). Finally, I must say! I've been waiting for ages to read one. And I bet all you readers have too! So, if you really want a kissing scene between the hot Ed and sexy Envy, Then PLEASE review! WE all love to get reviews, don't deny it I know it's true. Everyone who reviews is a ledged! Peace Far. **

**--Writer**

**Oh Panic! It's not huge! And your complement kinda makes me ashamed that it's not the super heavy make-out scene I know everyone wants. Waaaaah!!! I'm trying! I promise, this next chapter will start their relationship going. BTW, I'll eventually tell why Ed calls his horse 'Mom'. Next chappie, I think…**


	11. Chapter 11

_Chapter 11: Fire_

A sliver of the pale moon shone in the cloudless night, barely giving any light to the two figures that rode on the dry hard sand of the desert. They rode side by side, unspeaking to each other as their horses pounded the ground.

A building came into view on the horizon, and one of the figures slowed to a stop. The other followed suit, glancing at the other with golden-amber eyes as his partner slid down from the saddle. The green-haired Sin motioned to the blonde to follow, and like an obedient puppy, the blond man did as he was told.

The two walked a little bit away from the horses, towards the faint building in the distance.

"That's it right?" Edward broke the silence, peering at the small space with barely contained anger.

"Yeah."

"Why'd we stop anyway?" the pharaoh continued to look at the structure, as if hoping some sign of his brother would appear. He didn't get an answer to his question.

"Sorry about this." Envy whispered, his eyes downcast.

Golden eyes widened and the small body whipped around, almost fearful. "What are you sorry for? What'd you do?"

"It's what I'm about to do. I hope you'll forgive me." Envy raised his head, amethyst eyes shining in the pale light of the sliver in the sky. "But I swear to you, I won't let you come to any harm, or your brother."

The golden-haired boy opened his mouth to speak, but before any words could come out, Envy slammed his fist into Ed's stomach. Not hard enough to damage him, just enough to knock him out. A choked noise came out of Ed's throat.

Edward felt himself falling, eyes slipping closed into a dark void. Before he fell completely unconscious, he felt arms encircle his body, keeping him from falling to the sand. They supported him on a lap, and pulled him into a gentle hug, resting his limp body against a strong, lithe one.

"I promise…" were the last words he heard.

XXXXXX

When Ed came to, he immediately noticed the pressure on his wrists. A wooden board with holes cut out encircled his wrists, a tough looking lock hanging on the side. Slightly panicked, he realized he couldn't clap his hands. He couldn't do alchemy!

There were quiet murmurs from the other side of the room, drawing Ed's attention. He peered in the dim lighting, finally making out seven forms. Four were clumped around a table, playing cards, one of them easily perceived as Envy. The rest lounged on the furniture scattered around, couches, armchairs and small side tables filled the space of the room. The only light came from lots of candles, and he realized it was dark outside of the shuttered window.

Envy raised a glass to his lips, scanning his cards and the table as he took a mouthful of the liquid. He smirked, setting the glass down and playing his move.

"Dammit!" A man with black glasses and spiked hair cursed colorfully, angered that he had lost. The other two players sighed in a resign, a woman with long black hair and a man with an eye patch over his left eye.

Envy scooped the pile of coins they had gambled into a small pouch, then leaned back against the couch with his drink again, long legs tucked under him. He answered the man's glare with one of his own. "I don't cheat, Greed. It's my nature to be lucky." He said cockily.

"Yeah right." Came the icy reply. "I know you cheat."

Envy drained the rest of his alcoholic drink. "Believe what you want. I'm done anyway." With that, he stood and began walking towards a small bar, empty glass in hand. He opened a cupboard and pulled out a bottle of wine with a small sigh. The ice cubes clinked softly as he poured some into his cup, violet eyes closing as he drank the foul liquid, consuming the second glass quickly before setting it down on the counter.

Edward tried thinking of a way to get Envy's attention without attracting the others, but the green-haired thief glanced at him anyway. A smirk formed its way on his lips, but it was more of a smirk that a cat would wear when he corners a mouse than one of comfort.

"Hey guys." He called to the others. "Pipsqueak here is awake."

Ed's eyes narrowed angrily. "Pipsqueak?" He glared at the thief. "WHO'RE YOU CALLING SO SMALL HE'D GET CRUSHED BY AN ANT?!"

"My, my. Seems he's got a lot of energy in him." The woman that had been playing cards with Envy cooed over to him. She wore a long black dress that accented her developed body and black gloves. She had long wavy black hair that fell to her waist.

She walked over to him, heels clicking on the floor. "You can call me Lust." She purred seductively. Using a crooked forefinger, she turned his face from right to left, humming appreciatively. Disgusted, Ed turned his head away and pushed her arm aside with his bound hands.

Snarling, he addressed Envy. "Where's my brother?!"

Envy glanced lazily over his shoulder at the man with the eye patch, arms folded across his chest. When he got a nod, he unfolded his arms and stalked across the room, entering a door. When he returned, he carried the just waking form of Alphonse, and Edward's sharp eyes didn't miss how Envy tried to be as gentle as he could in his steps, even if the others didn't notice.

When Alphonse was fully woken, he glanced about himself, confused. Pale green eyes landed on his brother, and he began squirming to get to his kin. Avoiding the flailing limbs, Envy gently deposited his cargo next to Ed.

"Nii-san! I was so worried! I woke up in a strange place and then I couldn't find you and…" Al went on babbling, his arms wrapped tight around his brother and nuzzling him softly.

"Al," Ed whispered softly. "Hush for a moment, ok?"

The younger barely nodded, and was quiet.

"Well?" Ed snapped. "What do you want? I'm here now, so just tell me already!"

The man with the eye patch seemed slightly put off by his outburst, but merely glanced at a clock handing on the wall. It was custom made, and it seemed to picture all of the people in the thief group, with eye patch man in the middle. He seemed to be the leader. (A/N: Remember that Ed has no idea who these people are, except for Lust and Envy of course.)

"Envy," he addressed the green-haired thief, who had been standing close to the two brothers. "We have to leave soon. Keep them with you. We'll get what we want tomorrow night."

Envy sighed. "Fine. Besides," he added with a sneer. "It was so much fun torturing the _pharaoh_." He spat the title, as if it tasted horrible.

As the eye patch man turned back to the table with the others, Envy whacked Alphonse on the back of his neck, causing him to go limp. Gently, he hoisted the younger onto one shoulder, his free hand grabbing the edge of the wooden shackles on Ed's wrists, livid at the way his brother was treated.

They traveled down several hallways until Envy stopped at one. It was no different from the other doors, but Envy seemed to have memorized which one to go into. The hand that had held onto Ed's wrists easily left and pulled out a key from his headband, causing Ed to stare in wonder. '_Did he have that the whole time?!_' he thought.

"Edo." The hushed whisper came from inside the dark room, snapping Ed from his thoughts. He followed inside, not even flinching as the door closed behind him, Envy locking it with the same key.

Before he could confront the thief for his behavior, he was promptly glomped by his brother, sinking to the floor with the extra weight. "A-Al?!" he asked surprised. He thought his brother had been knocked out. "You ok?"

Green-grey eyes looked at him happily. "Yup! Envy said to be still, and so I did. He has nice eyes, Nii-san. He won't hurt us."

Ed visibly relaxed, closing his eyes and resting his head on Al's shoulder. "Yeah. I know."

Taking advantage of their distraction, Envy swiped the nearly closed handcuffs off Ed's wrists, tossing them to an empty corner. He had left them that way on purpose, just in case things didn't go as planned.

His pale violet eyes swept over the guest bedroom, really his second bedroom since he had the only key. He smirked when he found the cupboards contained glasses and alcohol.

"Oi! You two want some?" he asked, motioning to the wine. When he got two 'no's he shrugged, pouring himself his third glass of the night.

"Hey, Al, right? You can shower if you like. It's through that door there." He nodded towards said door.

Alphonse glanced at his brother, silently asking if it was alright to leave them alone. Ed nodded, and Al left.

As soon as Al had disappeared into the bathroom, Ed's smile dropped. His eyes became a glare, and his hands clenched into fists.

"What the hell are you planning?!" He spat towards Envy.

Envy's face turned surprised. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about betraying us!" Ed's voice had faded down to a threatening hiss, not wanting to alert the other thieves.

"Huh?! I thought we were betraying my so-called comrades."

"Then what was that all about?! 'I had fun torturing the pharaoh.' All of that!" His right fist slammed into the wall behind Envy, where the Sin's head had been only mere seconds before. "Tell me something then. Was that entire plan just to get me to come here to negotiate? Was it all a lie?" His voice and eyes depicted hurt, and anger, a fierce white hot fury that seemed as if it would explode.

He continued to talk, and Envy's eyes narrowed. Without even thinking, he dropped the glass he was holding, grabbed the back of the blonde's head and pressed their lips together, effectively shutting him up. When he released the other, who was panting with a faint blush staining his cheeks, Envy's eyes were still flashing slightly.

"Don't talk as if you know everything. Don't judge me based on words. Words are empty, and mean almost nothing. I have no intentions of betraying you, as I said. And can you honestly tell me that you or your brother has been hurt at all? I'm keeping my promise." With that, he stepped away from the wall, striding towards the window sill. He picked up a flashlight from the desk, and clicked it on twice out into the darkness.

His task done, Envy took to silently pacing the room, straining to hear the first sounds of the attack. Ed, still barely blushing, sat on the floor, leaning against the wall next to the door, occasionally touching his lips when he thought Envy wasn't looking.

Al returned to them, and although he could tell that the silence was tense, he did nothing about it. He gently asked his brother what was going to happen, and monotonously, Ed explained. As soon as he was done explaining, Envy froze. His stiff body told both brothers to be silent, and all three listened.

Suddenly, a smirk grew on Envy's face. "It's time." Was all he said, before silently running out the door. With an apprehensive look at Al, Ed followed, with the younger trailing dutifully behind him.

XXXXX

Envy pressed close to the wall, still hidden from his comrades. As far as he knew, they had no idea there would be an attack. He had sensed the soldiers coming closer, and waited patiently with a knife drawn, held at the ready. He could only pray that no one else sensed them.

His head turned as Ed and Al stood beside him, their footsteps silent as they approached. Al held a piece of white chalk in his hand, and Ed had taken off his gloves, revealing his mismatched hands.

BANG!

Envy's neck cracked as he turned around quickly, watching as the other Sins backed away slightly while soldiers poured in through the busted door, Riza, Roy and the brothers' teacher one of the first ones in. There were flashes of alchemical light in Envy's peripheral vision as Ed transmuted his right auto-mailed arm into a blade.

"Alright." Roy's voice sounded clearly throughout the room, addressing the thieves who stood on the other side of the room. "All of you have been charged with thievery, murder, and kidnapping. Come quietly with us, and no one will be hurt. Ed, Al?"

"Right here, Roy." Ed called, stepping out from behind the wall. "Everything's okay over here."

Roy nodded once, his eyes never leaving those of the targets, watching as they half shuffled behind one of them, a man with an eye patch in his left eye. Riza growled slightly beside him, her long gun pulled from her back and aimed towards them. "Don't move." She barked. "Put your hands in the air where I can see them. Spread out. I want to see all of you."

The Sins did as they were told, moving carefully apart. "You are to move slowly over here one by one. Resistance will not be tolerated." Roy spoke again.

The man with the eye-patch chuckled. "Not likely." He smirked, lowering his hands, as did the others.

A warning shot was fired off by Riza, whizzing past their heads. She had missed on purpose. "I won't miss again."

The man smirked again. "You won't have a chance to shoot ever again. Goodbye."

Roy's eyes widened as the man pressed a button hidden behind him, and just barely managed to pull Riza backwards as the ground in front of her exploded. Smoke and debris filled the air, making it hard to see and breathe. Screams were heard as something attacked the men hidden by the smoke, and the stench of blood burned everyone's nostrils.

Finally the smoke cleared somewhat, but the only thing Roy could see was dead bodies and two figures rolling around on the floor, trying to wrestle each other down.

"Hurry up!" The green-haired thief's voice came from the two figures, and Roy could just barely see who was who before another explosion happened nearby. "The others are escaping through a hole under the floor! Ed knows where it is!" That was all he could hear as more explosions went off, completely cutting off his view.

The ceiling above rumbled.

"Everyone outside now! This building is going to collapse." Riza's commanding voice sounded, and everyone turned to file out the exit. Just as the last soldiers scrambled out, it happened.

The ceiling buckled.

And Edward and Alphonse were still inside.

**Whew! I think this is the longest chapter yet! I'm sorry for the cliffhanger, but hey, it was either this or you wait for another week or so. I realize this might be sort of confusing as I tend to change views quite a lot. I hope you guys can understand it…**

**Anyway, I'm not sure if I did ok on my 'First Kiss' scene…I was kinda nervous, but this was how it played out in my head, and I just kind of wrote it down. Please forgive me if it sucks…I tried. **

**Oh yeah! I don't know if I told you, but for those of you who are looking for more RizaxRoy fluffiness, I wrote a one-shot a while back. Not sure if you guys know about it. Probably not. Anyway, if you want to read it, go ahead.**

**-----**Editors note!

YES, FINALLY, A KISS! The long awaited kiss, and hopefully there'll be more in the near future! We can only dream! I hope all you awesome readers out there enjoyed this chapter, and since it's Valentines Day where I am, ROSES FOT ALL! Want chocolates or another kissing scene? THEN REVIEW! REVIEW ALL MY PRETTIES! Update soon, or all you fans will be coming after you with pitchforks and daisy! Peace Far!

**Uh…Ok? Just don't kill me!**

**Ha! I have leverage! If you kill me, you won't get any updates OR more kissing scenes! Give me a review and maybe I'll update! **


	12. Chapter 12

**Credit for the fighting scene underground should go to my Onii-sama and my Uotani-nee-chan! I asked for their advice (even though they don't like yaoi, it wasn't a yaoi scene) and after some struggling they told me to rewrite it. I did so, and I think it's better now. Flows more, ya'know? So credit goes to them. Love you both!**

_Chapter 12: Care about a Thief?_

Envy coughed slightly, the dust from the collapsed ceiling making it hard to breathe. At the last second, he had left Pride where he was and pushed the two Elrics out of the way, down the hall where the ceiling had taken no damage.

"Envy? Can you get off now?" Ed wouldn't look at him, an annoyed scowl playing across his face, along with a blush.

"Yeah. Sorry." Envy stood up, trying to assess the damage. As far as he knew, no one had got caught in the cave in, except for Pride, if Envy was lucky.

Walking over to where he had been wrestling with Pride, the green-haired Sin pushed away the rock and tile, looking for any sign of a body. He didn't get very far with his digging before he heard a clap, and blue light began to encircle all the broken materials. All at once, the building was fixed, and looked as if no one had disturbed it after it had been first built.

Envy looked back over his shoulder, watching Ed smirk in a self-satisfying way as the last rocks positioned themselves back in place. Trying to hide his awe, he began to search for the entryway everyone had 'disappeared' to.

"Nii-san, what do we do now?" Al asked gently.

The blonde was thoughtful for a moment, then led his brother to the doorway where Roy and the others had come back after the transmutation. "Roy, is everyone alright?"

"Except for those caught in the explosions." Roy said grimly.

"Oi!" Envy's voice called. "I've found the tunnel! If you don't want those bastards to escape, let's go!"

Roy's obsidian eyes glared over at him. "Give us a moment will you?! Where does it lead?"

"That's just it!" Envy said, stalking over to them. "I don't know! That's why we have to leave right now and catch them!" he began to pull Ed over to where he was before, a gaping hole yawning up at them.

"Roy!" Ed called back. "We're going on ahead! Send a group after us as backup, keep surrounding this place, and watch outside in the desert in case anyone pops up! The rest of you, stay here!"

Before Roy could protest, Envy and Ed had disappeared into the hole.

XXXXX

Edward and Envy raced down the narrow tunnels, panting slightly as they saw no signs of the others who had escaped. Dim lights covered with dust and cobwebs barely lit the place, flickering as if they would go out. Envy prayed that they wouldn't.

"Did you know this would happen?" Ed's voice broke into Envy's thoughts.

"I didn't even know we had this here! I have no idea where it leads or –" he stopped short.

"What?" Ed asked, just barely able to keep himself from running into Envy. "What's wro…"

There was a fork in the tunnel.

Ed cursed colorfully while Envy peered carefully down both sides. Still unable to tell which way to go, he put his head to the ground, trying to sense which way their footsteps went. Ed was still ranting.

"Ed, shut up!"

The pharaoh grumbled a little bit more under his breath, but stopped moving and causing loud noise. Envy's eyes closed, searching desperately.

"This way!" The sudden shout and quick tug startled Ed, making him unable to react for a minute as the thief pulled him down the right side.

"Wait!" He pulled back, and ran back to the mouth of the forked tunnel. He closed off the wrong end of the tunnel, and chased Envy down the unbeaten path.

XXXXX

"Where are we going to go, Mommy?" Wrath asked, clutching the black fabric of his mother's dress. Even after turning 13, he still remained close to his mother, probably because of their thieving activities.

"I don't know." Sloth replied, glancing warily about her. "We have to wait for Daddy to come back, don't we?"

The five Sins left had headed for the tunnel as soon as the first explosions happened, but when Envy had appeared out of the smoke and attacked Pride, they had hesitated. Only after encouragement from Pride had they left him behind.

"Well, you don't have to wait anymore. Let's go." Pride appeared in the doorway, slightly out of breath, but still smiling to reassure his family. As he traveled over to them, only Sloth noticed that he was hiding a limp. It looked like his ankle had been twisted somewhat in the cave in. Without a word she went to his side and discreetly helped to support him.

"Lust, Gluttony, Greed, I'm taking my family out of here. Escape if you can, and we'll meet back here underground in a week." Pride told the others. They nodded in confirmation, and began heading for the exit on the far side of the room, but blue alchemic light flashed, and the walls merged together to close their only way out.

"Pride!" Envy called out, running out of the darkness of the tunnel and attacking his former leader. His knife was parried by Pride's own sword, Sloth and Wrath backing away to watch with the other Sins.

The two performed the intricate dance of battle, both dealing and receiving blows. Pride flicked his head to the side a one point, eyes flashing dangerously as he dodged Envy's knife plunge. Sensing a trap of some sort, the green-haired Sin backed up a step, only to bump into a strong chest. Before he could react, Greed's hands had wrapped around his own, twisting his right wrist painfully. Envy dropped the knife before his wrist broke, trying fruitlessly to escape Greed's iron grip.

Envy stopped struggling as Pride approached him, as smirk high on his face and his sword still in his hand. He kicked away the knife, leaving Envy completely defenseless. In a flash, Greed had completely disappeared, but before Envy could really notice it, Pride's sword had pierced his right shoulder.

Envy backed into a wall behind him, crying out when Pride twisted the blade slightly. His one eye glowed with anger.

"Didn't I tell you, Envy? Didn't we say not to betray us?" the sword twisted and jerked again, Envy yelling once more.

"Do you know what this eye sees, Envy?" the green-haired Sin just barely managed to open his eyes, which had been clenched tightly shut in pain. Pride had two fingers gently brushing the scar on his left eye. "I see your death."

Even in this position, Envy still managed a laugh, his right hand resting on the blade of the sword. "Really? Because all I see is the man who's going to kill you." Envy's gaze was directed over Pride's shoulder, the black haired man, spinning around in surprise, unconsciously pulling his sword from Envy's body.

Envy crouched down, one hand covering his shoulder as he panted heavily. It hurt a lot more than he thought it would, but he smirked as he watched the scene unfold in front of him.

Ed looked absolutely livid, his automail arm transmuted into a blade as he fought viciously with Pride. Sparks flew from their clashing weapons, making the room grow slightly brighter and dimmer.

Something sparkled to Envy's left, and in the next shower of sparks, the Sin reached over for his lost knife with his right hand, ignoring the burning in his shoulder. But just before his fingers reached the tip of the blade, a heavily booted foot crashed down on his wrist, effectively pinning him down. Greed smirked down at him, purposely grinding his heel down on the extended appendage.

With his wrist bent at such an odd angle, it wasn't long before Envy heard the sickening sound of bone breaking, and a new flood of pain enveloped him. Knowing that Greed did this just to hear some sounds of pain from the Sin, the green-haired man kept quiet by biting his lip, drawing drops of blood.

Satisfied, Greed finally moved, thinking his 'comrade' incapacitated for now. He thought wrong.

The second his hand was free, Envy's other hand, his left, lashed out, grabbing the knife before Greed could react. He did react however, when the knife landed deep into his calf, yelling and trying in vain to remove Envy from his leg. The green-haired Sin kept trying to dig the blade in deeper, but failed when he finally lost his handhold on the dagger's handle, and went flying into a nearby wall.

He must have blacked out for a few seconds, for when he regained his senses Sloth and Lust were helping Greed to his feet, leading him towards the tunnel Envy and Ed had come through. Wrath and Gluttony trailed helplessly behind, trying to avoid being caught in the crossfire of Ed's battle, Gluttony complaining that he was hungry.

Envy tried to get up, struggling to control the pain that threatened to overwhelm his senses. He had to stop them! Ed was busy, and no one else was going to stop them.

"Envy!" Said Sin's eyes snapped open, glancing over to the blonde, who was attempting to handle Pride. Pride was struggling under the automail hand, paying no attention to anything else. Ed's golden eyes were trained on Envy. "It's ok. Don't move or you'll make your injuries worse. It's ok."

Fueled by the strong yellow eyes, Envy managed to pull himself up, panting. "No it's not. It's not ok for me to just let them get away!"

"Then I suggest you hurry up. You just might catch them." Ed had turned back, hiding a pleased smirk.

Envy gave a smirk of his own, grateful. As he limped slightly down the darkened hallway, he heard the clashes of blade on blade once more behind him. An explosion sounded ahead of him, and Envy quickened his pace.

At the forked part of the tunnel, where Ed had closed off the wrong side that most likely ended in a dead end, the other Sins, excluding Greed, who was collapsed on the floor behind his comrades, were fighting the group that Roy had sent after them.

The group included Roy himself, Riza, Izumi, a black haired man with glasses, and a man with short blonde hair, who had a cigarette dangling from one corner of his mouth. Both of the latter were armed with long guns similar to the one Riza had slung across her back. (A/N: That's Cain Fury and Jean Havoc. Pretend that they have cigarettes and glasses back then, got it?)

As the Sins were busy battling, Izumi slowly picked them off to tie them up, rendering them unconscious and leaving them off to the side. She had already gotten a hold of Gluttony and Wrath. Seeing that he would only be in the way, Envy stood back leaning against the wall with his good shoulder.

"Oi!" Izumi's sharp voice rang over to him, startling him as a coil of rope landed near his feet. She nodded to where Greed was slumped on the floor. "Take care of him, will you?" It was more of an order than a question, but nevertheless Envy did as he was told.

Greed kept flailing his limbs in an attempt to keep Envy away, and managed to hit his bad arm twice. Eventually, the green-haired Sin got so frustrated that he merely struck Greed on the back of his neck, knocking him out. Then he proceeded to tie the ropes tightly around Greed's wrist and ankles, "accidentally" kicking the dagger wound several times.

At last, all the Sins were detained, and seemed to accept that they were defeated. Greed was still passed out, Envy watching him like a hawk as Roy approached him. Hiding the pain from any and all of the military personal, Envy leaned casually against the wall opposite Greed, watching everyone else out of the corner of his eye.

"Where's Ed?" Roy asked quietly.

Envy jerked his head down the tunnel. "He was fighting Pride when I left." It was painfully obvious that the black haired man wanted to talk to him alone, and, if it was only to get them to leave sooner, Envy obliged by starting the long walk back.

Every more step was agony for Envy, who was tired and his arm was throbbing with pain. Nevertheless, he led the military man down the excruciating long tunnel.

The man stopped short, making Envy turn to look at him. "Look, I'm sorry ok? About that whole thing back in Ed's room at the palace. I just got so riled up." The green-haired Sin gave a curt nod, and continued walking.

Roy walked a bit faster to catch up, and continued his confession. "I just couldn't stand the way you were talking about Ed. He's not a bad person at all. He cares a great deal about everyone he meets, even if he doesn't show it."

"Even a former thief?" the words were spat in Roy's general direction, bitter, but slightly curious.

Roy caught everything in Envy's tone, and smirked to himself. He knew more than he let on. "Probably." Before either could say anymore, they heard a shout. Ed, doubled over, was carrying an unconscious and tied up Pride, both covered in cuts and blood.

"Hang on, Ed. Here, let me help." Roy carefully took the load off of Edward's shoulders, smirking once more to himself as he watched Envy slip his left, uninjured arm around the pharaoh's waist.

"You're ready to fall asleep on your feet." He murmured quietly by way of explanation. Ed simply nodded, closing his bright golden eyes and unconsciously leaning on Envy's shoulder, although a small blush graced his face before he fell limp.

The former thief smiled softly, pulling Ed over towards a wall and sat down so they could be comfortable, the pharaoh resting his head more or less on Envy's chest. Luckily, the blonde had passed out, whether it be from exhaustion or his wounds Envy didn't know; he was just glad he wasn't awake.

A flash of blue light sparked his attention away from the golden chibi, and watched with fascination as Roy transmuted his military blue jacket into a pile of white, starched bandages. He handed said pile over to the Sin, who stared at him in surprise.

"I'm going on ahead." He clarified, hefting Pride to his shoulders once more. "Ed passes out sometimes after missions, usually from fatigue, or stress, but wakes up in five to ten minutes or so."

Envy nodded.

Roy looked at him, smiling tenderly at the sight the two made. A former thief, gently holding one of the blondes Roy had always considered as something like a son. And Ed, in return, was leaning on said thief, a peaceful look on his face. "I'll come up with an excuse so people don't come looking for you. But if Hawkeye shoots me, it's your fault."

"Sure." Roy looked back to glare at him, but saw the teasing look in Envy's eyes and smiled. He nodded as a way of saying goodbye and left.

When he was out of sight Envy glanced down at the blonde in his arms and smiled to himself. A pale, slender hand rose to carefully smooth back golden bangs, gently petting. He began to drift off into his own mind, waiting for _his_ pharaoh to wake up.

**/Sigh/ What an incredibly fluffy chapter. I don't know what came over me. So, yes, this is it for now. I was going to make it longer, but I couldn't piece it together…Once again, credit for the scene between Greed and Envy goes to my Onii-sama and my Uotani-nee-chan, even though they hate slash. They just helped with the fighting parts, where I got stuck. But I love them anyway. So, to thank them, how about a review for me/Puppy eyes/**

--Editor's Note!

(Insert loud squeal here) Awww, such a cute scene between Ed and Envy! The mental pictures were great. Loved the chapter like I did? Then you should totally REVIEW! Review and you get another chapter! Maybe even another kiss scene? Well, I hope so anyway! So, please Review! Peace Far.

**Oh, Panic! It did get fluffy at the end; I hope that it doesn't seem like they're going to fast. It's not like Ed's going to wake up and suddenly start making out with Envy, but this fluff had to happen for me to continue. I liked the beginning, where I made the slight embarrassing scene between Edo and Envy. And of course there has to be more kissing scenes! Duh!**


	13. Chapter 13

_Chapter 13: Healing-Both Body and Mind-and a Second Chance_

Edward stirred, feeling warm and comfortable exactly where he was. Which reminded him to think, '_Where am I?'_

He remembered fighting with Pride, after Envy had left. Then he remembered winning, and walking down the hall, feeling very tired. Fuzzy pictures of two figures walking towards him resurfaced, then the heavy weight being removed and a slender arm being wrapped around his waist. The last thing he remembered was looking up and smiling at deep amethyst eyes.

Amethyst eyes…

Ed shot up from his position, wincing slightly as small cuts on his body reopened.

"Hey. Slow down, or you won't heal." Ed glanced over his shoulder, taking in Envy's battered form, as well as his still bleeding right arm. It was then that he noticed the scuffed dirt on the floor, from where he had once lain, and it led up next to Envy.

"Well, now that you're awake, here." Silently, the thief crawled closer, taking Ed's left arm gently, where a long deep scratch stretched. The blonde watched quietly as the green-haired man carefully wrapped up his arm, and tied a snug knot at the top.

Envy stepped back, satisfied. When Ed smirked at him, the thief quirked a slender eyebrow. "What?" Envy's eyes narrowed suspiciously as Edward removed his red coat and then his black jacket, replacing the coat on his shoulders.

"Equivalent Exchange." He replied slyly, clapping his hands and transmuting the black fabric into pristine white bandages. He turned back to the stunned thief, who finally understood. "Take off your shirt for a sec, ok?" Ed promised, watching with slight amusement as Envy had to literally _peel_ the 'shirt' off his body. (A/N: I always wondered just how he would get it off, if he didn't/couldn't shape shift. LOL.)

The green-haired man scrutinized Ed warily, still uneasy about letting people so close to him. However, the pharaoh was gentle, moving cautiously. With his right hand full of the bandages, the blonde carefully used his mouth to pull off his left glove, oblivious to the blinking and surprised Envy. (A/N: You guys do understand why he's surprised right? How would you feel if you were half naked and a hot guy pulls off his glove with his mouth?)

"It looks like it went almost all the way through." The chibi muttered to himself, inspecting the sword wound closely. He glanced up, meeting Envy's luminous purple eyes. "You better be really careful with this. You might permanently damage your muscles if you work it too hard while it's healing, got it?"

Trying to seem nonchalant, the thief rolled his eyes and sighed. "Yes, Doctor."

"Good." Ed played along, and then ripped the fabric in two so he could tie a somewhat messy knot. It was then that he noticed the strange way Envy's wrist bent. "Hey, is your wrist ok?" he asked benignly.

Envy, on reflex, pulled his hand closer to his body, hiding it from view. "I'm fine."

Not taking that as an answer, Edward gently pried it away from the thief's chest, inspecting it closely. When he reached out and pressed ever so gently on it with his flesh hand, the blonde noticed how Envy bit his lip silently, but otherwise showed no sign of pain. He hid his emotions well.

The pharaoh looked around, then clapped his hands and pressed them against a rock on the ground, transmuting it into a thin rectangular metal splint. With dressing and splint in hand, he returned to Envy's side, once again picking up the broken limb. "This is going to hurt a bit. I have to reset the bone back in its place."

Envy merely nodded, and watched the golden chibi with his amethyst orbs. With another sickening crack the bones slipped back into place, Envy biting his lip to keep from crying out. Once again, he accidentally bit through the tender flesh, and tasted the metallic crimson liquid in his mouth.

Ed muttered a quiet apology. Quickly and gently, he placed the metal splint on the pale skin, wrapping it up tightly and stiffly. "Be careful with that too." He lightly admonished the thief, who rolled his eyes at the pharaoh's theatrics.

"I'm fine." He insisted, standing up from the wall. "Let's go. That priest of yours, Roy? He said that he'd hold off the others until you recovered, but I wouldn't put it past them to come searching for us anyway."

"Why are you so distrusting?" Ed had stood as well, coming to Envy's side so they could walk together. His tone was curious.

Envy sighed, unsure as to how to answer that question. "I guess…I think it's because of where I ended up, you know? I grew up hating most of the people in my life, and as a result, I distanced myself from everyone. I guess it's kind of a habit now." A faint smile played on his lips. "Especially since they are soldiers and I am a 'thief'."

"That's not right."

Ed had stopped walking, his hands clenched into fists. His bangs once again shielded his golden eyes from view as Envy turned to watch him. Ed continued. "You helped us! And you helped me and…" The pharaoh struggled for more words, but faltered when he heard the thief's bitter laugh.

"Do you hear yourself? Yes, I helped you, but I defeated my old comrades. I've killed more people than I can count and destroyed more lives than I care to admit." He started walking again, and the blonde had to run a few steps to catch up to him. The light at the end of the tunnel, which led outside, began to grow rapidly bigger as Envy took long strides.

"Who's to say that one day I won't betray _you_?" Amethyst eyes flickered over to him, icy cold. "Are you sure that you want to trust me so easily? You trusted me before I even said that I would help you."

"Who cares?" Ed retorted. "Everyone gets hurt at some point, but then we stand back up again. I think you were just down for a little longer than the rest of us."

Envy's eyes widened slightly, even if Ed couldn't see it. "Yeah." He replied, the smile once again on his lips. "I'm getting a second chance."

The pharaoh opened his mouth once more, to say something else, but the two were once again outside, or rather, inside of the hideout. The place was still swarming with military personal, and Ed watched with a twinge of sadness as a mask came over Envy's pale face, the smile completely gone and the warmth from his eyes faded.

Quickly, before anyone could react or see what he was doing, Edward placed two fingers of his flesh hand to his lips, blowing hard. The result was a very loud, very drawn out whistle. Everyone nearby flinched except for Envy, who was blank.

When the piercing noise had stopped, the place was deathly quiet. "Everybody, out, now!" Ed commanded, his fingers moving from the soft lips and slipping instinctively into a second pair of white gloves.

Everyone hurried to obey their leader's command, filing out of the lair. Suddenly conscious to his state of dress, or lack thereof, Ed clasped the front of his red jacket so no one could tell he was without his normal second black one. The halls emptied of the blue uniforms, and when all were out the door, the blonde turned to Envy.

"Sorry about that." So saying, he turned and headed out, the thief still pondering on just _how_ such a _small_ person could have so much air to make such a _loud_ noise. Ahead of him, Ed twitched slightly, looking over his shoulder to glare at him.

"Bastard." He murmured gently, lightly punching Envy on his uninjured shoulder. "You just called me short, didn't you?"

A ghost of a smirk played on Envy's lips. "Maybe." The mask fell in place once more as Roy walked up to them.

"Ed? We have gotten the deceased out of the house now." He spoke soothingly, but it was futile to stop the sadness that seeped into Ed's voice when he replied.

"Take me to them, please." The black-haired man obliged, merely standing back as they approached a spot that had been deserted by the soldiers.

Five people lay on the ground, or what was left of them. Some were missing limbs while others were blackened from the fire. Ed knelt next to them, his eyes hidden by his bangs.

"Dammit. I didn't want any casualties."

"I know, Ed. I'm sorry. We had no idea there were bombs placed there." Roy tried to comfort the boy, even though he knew it was in vain.

"Dammit, Roy! I didn't want any casualties! Now we have to go back and explain to five families that their husbands or fathers or brothers died on a simple capture mission."

"You shouldn't blame yourself." Ed looked up, glaring up at the thief as he stood to face him.

"And why shouldn't I?" he retorted. "I'm the one that asked them to come with us!"

"Because they _knew_." Envy finally glanced down at him, tearing his eyes from the sky. "They were part of your army right? They knew they could be killed. Why did they go then, if death was a possible outcome? Because they wanted to protect everything that they loved."

Ed's eyes widened with realization, and then softened. "But still. They died because of me."

Envy gave an almost inaudible sigh. "Believe what you want." He turned around, heading for the hideout once more. "People died this time, but will you merely mourn them? Or will you become stronger so that people don't die? One last thing for you to think about. I was the one who led you here."

With that, he was gone, slamming the door behind him. Roy moved to go retrieve him, his obsidian eyes trained in a glare, but someone caught his arm.

"It's ok." Ed nearly whispered. "Leave him alone. Let's go home, ok?"

Roy looked at the boy who had been through so much, and was now starting a new chapter in his life with the being that had just disappeared. His eyes softened. "Yeah. Let's go."

XXXXX

Envy collapsed as soon as he shut the door, listening to them talk and pack up, and finally leave. He gave a sigh then, crawling over to a nearby couch and managing to get up on top of it. He was panting, exhausted and still bleeding from his numerous wounds, but he was too tired to take proper care of them that night. The patch job Ed had done would suffice until tomorrow, even if the once starched white bandages were completely stained red.

Unbidden, thoughts of the young blonde pharaoh filtered through his hazy mind, and despite the pain wracking his body, Envy fell into a peaceful sleep. And for once, instead of nightmares, he dreamed serenely.

XXXXX

All the way back to the palace, Ed was deep in thought. His horse, Trisha, knew exactly what to do, and thus did not need directions. Al slept behind his brother, his head resting gently on Ed's left shoulder, arms loosely around his brother's waist.

'_What did Envy mean?'_ Ed pondered silently to himself._ 'Sure, he was the one who led us there, but what does that have to do with anything? He was _helping_ us.'_ The blonde's eyes widened slightly. _'Does he mean for me to think that it's _his_ fault they died? He had nothing to do with them!'_

Roy watched Edward's facial expressions, gathering information so that when he spoke, he seemed to be reading the pharaoh's mind. "He just didn't want you to blame yourself." As a blonde head snapped up to look at him, Roy explained. "That thief-"

"Envy." Ed corrected automatically.

"Right. Envy. Sorry. Anyway, Envy didn't want you to blame yourself for their deaths, and he doesn't care if the blame is put on him. Well, outwards anyway he doesn't care."

Ed turned back to look forward again, muttering a quiet thanks. Before the hideout rapidly disappearing behind them was completely gone, the blonde turned and gazed back.

'_I could never blame you, Envy. Thank you.'_

XXXXX

A loud banging woke Envy from his peaceful slumber, igniting a powerful splitting headache. He groaned under his breath. '_That's the last time I drink and fight._' He thought. The knocking continued, but the thief merely buried his head under a tangle of arms, hoping the people wanting in would catch his drift and go away.

It abruptly stopped, much to Envy's surprise, but he wasn't about to complain. There was one blissful minute of silence before the door was suddenly kicked open, barely hanging on its hinges anymore. The green-haired man shot up, eyes already narrowed into a glare, ignoring his throbbing head. When his eyes settled on the two men dressed in mandatory military uniforms, Envy stood and clenched his good hand into a fist.

"What?" he hissed angrily. He recognized the two from the night before, the blonde with the cigarette and the black-haired one with glasses. The blonde saluted lazily, introducing both of them and unfazed by the angry thief.

"Jean Havoc and Cain Fury, at your service, sir."

Envy crossed his arms, his eyes never leaving their position in a glare. "What do you want?"

Havoc sighed, taking a drag before speaking. "Orders from the boss. We're supposed to give this place a thorough search and report everything." The thief tensed, but waved them on and wearily retreated to the bar.

The subordinates were surprised by his easy agreement or their search, but were relieved they wouldn't have to force him to let them go around. They quickly started their work, wanting to be done and out of this man's hair as soon as possible. When they had finished searching the ground floor, opening cabinets and drawers and going through them, the black haired man cautiously approached the thief who was once again on the couch, eyes closed, and a glass of water in his hand.

"D-do you have a basement?" Fury asked nervously, tripping over his words slightly.

Envy's violet eyes flickered open and he sighed, rubbing his temples gently. "Yes. I suppose you'll want to look there and upstairs as well?" The man nodded carefully, unconsciously backing up a step as Envy stood, setting his glass on the floor. The Sin led them to a door that revealed stairs spiraling downwards, pressing the switch that allowed flickering lights to come on.

"I don't know how much or what exactly you'll find down there." Envy told them, stepping aside. "As far as I know, no one's been down there in a long time, but you're welcome to look wherever. I'll leave the door open for you."

The two military men nodded, and the thief gave a few last instructions. "When you want to search upstairs, go ahead. If you two don't need anything, I'm going to lie down. No need to inform me of anything, ok?"

He got two nods once more, but as he turned to leave, Jean called after him. "Here, take this." The blonde tossed a small bottle towards the green-haired man, who caught it easily.

Envy peered at it curiously, suspicious as to whether or not it was filled with poisoned pills. "What is it?"

"Aspirin." The blonde lazily touched his forehead, as if the thief actually knew what he meant. "For your hangover."

Envy smirked. "That obvious, huh? Thanks." He popped open the top and shook out a couple pills, tossing his head back and swallowing them dry. He tossed the bottle back to Havoc, who caught and stuffed it in a pocket. Without further ado, the two men disappeared down the steps, Envy retreating back to the couch. He curled up; clutching a pillow like it was his life and closed his eyes, eventually falling once more into sleep.

XXXXX

When Envy awoke once more, his headache had subsided somewhat. It was a little after midday, only a couple hours after the men had come and he had fallen asleep. Sitting up slowly, the Sin looked around, observing the door that was once again on its hinges and the note placed next to his head. A small bottle sat atop it, and Envy recognized it as the bottle that Havoc had tossed to him; the one with aspirin in it.

Picking up the note, the thief squinted at the hardly legible writing.

_'We've finished searching the house, and it doesn't seem like there's anything odd about the place. We feel that there's no need to come back, but other superiors might. Here's a present for you, just to help with hangovers.'_ Envy smirked. That part was definitely Jean's writing. The next part was written clearer, and much cleaner than before; Envy suspected it was probably Cain's. _'Thank you for letting us search without a fight. We understand it was probably a pain to have the military once again on your property, but it was very kind of you to help us without any tribulations._

_Signed,_

_Jean Havoc and Cain Fury_

'_So,'_ Envy thought to himself. _'They've already come and gone.'_

Struck with realization and a sudden fear, the green-haired Sin ran up the stairs, heading towards his room. The door was unlocked, and when he burst into the room, his eyes immediately went to the desk where the drawer should have been locked. He reached for it and tugged lightly, sighing in relief when he found it to still be locked.

Sitting on his bed in the corner, Envy glanced around for the first time in a while, noticing how plain the room seemed. And the 'house' seemed far too quiet. Without other occupants, everything seemed dead silent besides his own breathing. Sighing and shaking his head at how he had already become accustomed to people, Envy entered the bathroom down the hallway, planning on taking a long hot bath to ease the ache in his body.

As he slipped into the warm bathtub, Envy sighed contentedly. He had been careful to keep his right arm and shoulder out of the water, and was now staring at the crimson bandages, deep in thought.

Ever so gently, his left fingers slipped out of the comforting heated water and slowly undid the tight knot on his wrist, being very careful to keep both the splint and cloth dry, and set them outside the tub. He did the same to his shoulder, and finally began to take note of the severity of his wounds.

'_Ed was right.' _Envy thought to himself as he examined his shoulder. _'That bastard did almost put his sword all the way through.'_

Wait. Ed?

Envy blinked, trying to figure out why he had subconsciously called him by his name.

XXXXX

An hour later, after finally dragging himself out of the lukewarm bath, Envy carefully pulled on a new set of clothes, trying not to touch his injury, but failed miserably. The splint and used bandages he had set gently on the desk, where his notebook and a pen lay out in the open.

Deciding to let the cuts breathe for a while, he picked up the worn book, reading through his last entry, written less than a week ago. Smirking, he picked up the writing utensil and began, closing his eyes as he wrote across the page, voicing his thoughts on paper.

'_The pharaoh's not as bad as I thought. It's surprising really, but he wasn't as much of a bastard as I wrote last time. The plan had gone perfectly…'_ The thief went on describing everything that had happened, getting all the way to cleaning each other up in the tunnel when a loud pounding resounded through the silence.

Envy sighed, irritated. How many times was he going to be disturbed in one day?!

As he opened the door though, he was surprised to be greeted by a familiar whirl of red, black, and gold. 'It' shoved past him and stormed into the living room, plopping down onto the couch lazily.

"Nice place." The blonde commented, glancing around. "I didn't get a good chance to see it yesterday, being busy and all." He smirked. "Well, are you going to shut the door or just stand there gawking?"

Locking the door, Envy smirked back. _'Ed.'_

**Whee!!! Chapter 13! I think I made Ed a little…odd at the end, but I wanted him to just storm in there. It would be hard to write an entrance without it sounding OOC. Envy's sorta getting a grip on himself. Any guesses as to why he kept the bloodied wrappings:P**

**Also, as another issue. As of right now/checks/ I have 3769 hits for 'Thieves'. That made me so happy at first, but now I realize, with that many hits, I should be getting more reviews, right? I only have 34! I don't know if people just read the first two chapters and think it sucks or what, but come on! That's like less than 1 of people reviewing! And considering that I don't leave everyone hanging for a few months straight, people should be a little more grateful and review because I update so fast!**

**Ok, done ranting. BTW, blueeyedchibi is also a beta for this story, just like Panic.and.Pride. Much luvs to them!**

**Panic's Note---**

**XDD I liked the start, especially the bit about Ed peeling off his glove. Hilarious stuff. Love the chapter like I did, THEN PLEASE REVIEW! Want the story to update faster, THEN REVIEW! Peace Far.**

**Yes, I think is one of the more fluffy chapters. Why, I can't say. I guess I was just in a good mood or something. Did anybody catch the couple hints about Roy??**


	14. Chapter 14

_Chapter 14: A Lover's Caress_

Once sitting across from the blonde, Envy adjusted where his shoulder was lying slightly, trying to make the cut somewhat comfortable. Deciding to be polite, he presented the idea of a drink, but fell silent when Ed just waved his hand at the offer.

"So?" The former thief asked, running pale fingers through his locks. "What do you want?"

Ed's golden eyes narrowed ever so slightly, but he pulled out a tube from his pocket and handed it over. "It's ointment. It'll protect you from infections. Take this too." He also brought out a large roll of white bandages and placed them in Envy's hand.

The Sin looked from the items in his arms to Ed and back again, curious as to why the pharaoh was so concerned for him. Nevertheless, he thanked the blonde and shifted so he could sit cross legged, the objects placed delicately in his lap. Carefully, Envy pulled off his shirt, trying to avoid his wound as much as possible.

"And I brought an actual splint this time, so your wrist will heal better as well." Ed's eyes suddenly flashed with concern as he watched the former thief unscrew the cap to the ointment bottle. "Do you want help?"

Without waiting for permission the blonde was at the former thief's side, calmly plucking the tube from Envy's fingers and squeezing a glob onto his left fingers. Envy had stiffened slightly, but Ed didn't care, merely moving a bit slower so he wouldn't accidentally brush against the sore spot or startle him.

After carefully covering the wound with the salve, the pharaoh picked up the big roll of bandages and began to wrap, his left hand gently smoothing it out flat across Envy's chest and around his back. He repeated this several times until he finally tied a tight knot underneath the other layers so that it lay flat.

All the time Edward had been dressing his shoulder, Envy had trained his eyes on the wall, not looking or moving as the gentle hands moved across his chest and back. If it weren't for the bandages being laid down, it would almost seem like a lover's caress. Envy shook his head lightly. _'What am I thinking? Must be the hangover or something, even though the headache stopped a while ago.'_

When he finally finished, the blonde stepped back, admiring his handiwork. Without the annoying pain from a recent battle, he was able to do a better job this time. "There you go." He murmured gently. "Does it feel better now?" he asked, glancing up at amethyst eyes.

Envy nodded. "Yeah. Thanks."

Ed nodded in response, fishing the splint out of his pocket and bringing the Sin's wrist toward him, wrapping it the same way as his shoulder. Once again, it turned out better because of his better concentration.

With a small smile, Ed admired his work, checking it over once more to make sure he had done it correctly. Then Envy shifted his shoulder carefully, successfully transmitting the fact that he didn't like the blonde staying so close. Ed moved back to the vacant couch he had been sitting on, some unreadable expression flashing through his eyes, but it disappeared before Envy could get a chance to recognize it.

"Oh yeah." The thief's words startled the pharaoh out of his thoughts, but he merely returned his eyes to Envy's, giving him full attention. "There was something I wanted to show you last night, but with everything that happened, I forgot about it." Envy stood, stretched gently and motioned for Ed to follow him.

They passed numerous doors and went down different hallways before the green-haired Sin stopped suddenly. Ed nearly ran into him, freezing a hairs length away and stepping back to peer around.

They were in front of a plain brown door.

"This is Greed's room." Envy said by way of explanation. "He was our 'treasure keeper' of sorts." The Sin pulled a slender blade from his headband and began to work on the hinges, unscrewing the bolts and listening to them clatter on the floor. He then pushed at the mahogany with his good shoulder, stumbling slightly as it gave way. Ed poked his head in, giving the place a quizzical look. It was a completely empty hallway, besides other doors and twists and turns leading away.

When he saw there was nothing awry he began to walk down the passage, fingers brushing the wall gently. Envy, who had paused in the doorway, started, grabbing the back of Ed's jacket and yanking him backwards just as the flooring beneath the blonde's foot fell away. The pharaoh's eyes were wide with surprise as he cautiously gazed at the newly-formed hole.

"I imagine it's at least a twenty foot drop. This place is probably full of traps." Envy murmured, looking around at the white walls and wooden doors.

"Why?" Ed was blissfully unaware of the position they had fallen into when Envy had pulled him back. They had slipped to the wooden floor, the blonde more or less sitting in the Sin's lap as Envy sat on his knees.

Amethyst eyes gazed down at him. "Because he was the 'treasure keeper'? Weren't you listening? If we kept treasure in here, we'd want it to be protected."

"Hmm." The blonde became thoughtful, staring at nothing in particular until Envy cleared his throat.

"If you don't mind getting up, I'd be happy to take us to our destination." He said, mockingly cheerful. He was thoroughly amused when the blush settled across Ed's cheeks, watching as he scrambled off the other's lap and muttered something under his breath. The Sin smirked and edged around the hole, beginning the seemingly endless maze.

XXXXX

"Dammit! How the hell did he live here?!" The pharaoh's frustrated voice made Envy chuckle.

"It's not funny! I'm serious!"

"I think he slept in another room. Would've been a pain to bypass all these traps just to sleep. Especially if he was drunk."

The two had just escaped being killed by yet _another_ trap, although the latest one had consisted of rabid dogs leaping and trying to infect them.

"Well, screw it." With that, Ed clapped his hands and touched the earth below his feet, a blue wave of light sweeping along the walls and continuing through all the doors and hallways. Envy shuddered slightly as the wall passed over him, feeling the electric sparks crawl on his skin.

"What'd that do?" he asked when all traces of brightness had left.

Ed smirked at him. "Disabled all of the traps."

He ignored Envy's dropped jaw as he passed by him. "Why the hell didn't you do that sooner?!"

The blonde looked back over his shoulder at the thief, smirking once more. He didn't answer with words, merely answered with his eyes until he turned back around. The green-haired Sin followed him, turning down the more hallways until he finally stopped at a door.

"This is it?" Edward asked, more than a little annoyed to come all that way just to stop at a plain wooden door. It looked like all the others. He had hoped it would be something spectacular.

Envy chuckled lightly again. "Yeah. Sorry to disappoint, but we never had glamorous stuff put in here." He picked this door as well; the same way as he had opened the first door, except this time, the thief simply kicked the door, rather than ramming into it with his shoulder.

"Wow. Is this what you wanted to show me?" Ed's voice was amazed, as well a little bit curious.

Envy scoffed. "No. I wanted to show you the flooring. Of course it is!"

In front of the two, covering the entire expanse of the room besides the five feet from the front wall lay massive amounts and piles of assorted riches. Many stacks of coins, as well as valuables adorned the floor, sparkling slightly. Off to one side was a smaller pile, made up purely of trinkets and such, sitting next to several black leather bags.

"Care to explain?" the blonde prodded, walking forward. He passed by Envy, who once again yanked him back, pressing him against a strong chest as another booby trap released itself. This time poison smoke bombs were dropped, and as the Sin backed away, still pulling the pharaoh with him, he heard the telltale sounds of blades being embedded into the walls and floor.

Ed made muffled noises below him; Envy's hand was placed over his mouth to keep him from breathing in the poison.Envy took no notice of this however, watching the purple smoke spill into the hallway darkly.

The blonde even licked his hand, in an attempt to get him to let go, but when even that brought forth no reaction, he resorted to the next level. He bit him.

"Ouch!"

The startled cry rose up out of his throat before the thief had a chance to stop it. He pulled his hand back quickly, still not moving his other hand, which was wrapped gently around Ed's ribs. Envy pulled the abused digits into his mouth, sucking gently at the reddened flesh.

"What was that for?" he asked around pale fingers.

The elder brother gave him a slight glare. "You wouldn't let go. I couldn't breathe."

"That's no reason to bite me!"

They continued bickering, and the smoke reached long purple tendrils around their ankles. Envy, whose feet and legs weren't covered by thick boots and leather noticed the feeling of coolness, and glanced down quickly.

"Shit!" He grabbed Ed's arm and ran, trying to get them both away. He stopped at the end of the hallway. "Ed, close off the wall! If you don't the poison's going to spread throughout the hideout!"

The blonde nodded, clapping his hands and merging the two walls in front of him, making it look smooth. You couldn't even tell there was once a hallway. Just in case, so that he didn't forget, Envy took his knife and drove it into the makeshift wall, leaving it there to mark the entrance.

"So," Ed panted, slightly worn out from the day's events. "Why did you need to show me that?" he sat down beside Envy, who was resting against the wall.

"I don't want it." Golden eyes swiveled to watch the thief, curiosity narrowing them.

"I never wanted money out of this. The others did, which is why they stole." Amethyst turned and met gold, hiding nothing from them. "I wanted to give it to you, so you could give it back to everyone. There's a glass wall, by the way, so everything was protected from the poison."

Ed stood up, thinking that his smile was hidden. It wasn't, but Envy ignored it all the same.

"Return it yourself."

Envy's head shot up, staring at the very serious blonde. "What?"

"You said you've gotten a second chance right? You return everything you stole. Equivalent Exchange. You take, then you give." The pharaoh held out his hand. "I helped you a bit, but you have to walk forward. You've got a perfectly good pair of legs, so use them."

Envy took the offered hand, landing next the blonde. He watched silently as said blonde began to walk back the way they came.

"If you don't mind, I have to go. Things to pick up before heading home." A singular golden iris peered back at him over an automail shoulder. Envy nodded.

"Yeah. I'll walk you out."

XXXXX

"What?"

Ed was grinning at the stunned look on the thief's face. Next to his horse, Trisha, stood the black and white pinto horse Envy had ridden before.

"You can keep him."

"Why? Why give him to me?" Came the astonished words. Gently, the green-haired Sin lifted up a hand and petted the horse on the nose.

Ed shrugged. "He likes you, and he's never really liked anyone before."

"…Thanks."

The word was low, almost whispered. All the same, Edward heard it, and his grin widened even more.

"Well, I'd better get going." The blonde mounted his horse gracefully. "See you later, Envy."

Envy nodded once, and watched as Ed disappeared in the rolling sand hills.

**Eh. Back. I don't even know when I'll be able to post this, since I'm stuck in Texas on vacation. Then I'll have to send it to editors, but I have a limited connectivity. Ah well. I believe next chapter will be a bit of a time skip… a week I think.**

**Panic's note ----**

**Wasn't that a nice chapter? After finishing reading the chapter, I really wanna see what happens next! Do we get more kissing? God, I hope so! Please REVIEW and get the next update quick! Review, and I'll give you pocky! Peace Far.**

**More kissing? Uh, maybe. It's kinda hard to pull it in…hmm. I think I can squeeze something in….BUT YOU HAVE TO REVIEW! I don't get as inspired to write if I don't get any feedback. Then I just cry T.T**

**Anyway, as I said before, next chapter will have a time-skip, I think it'll be about a week or so. Less than two weeks. Ah well. REVIEW!!**


	15. Chapter 15

_Chapter 15: Ordinary Lives_

"Ok. When do I start?" Envy asked. He had just applied for a job at a café, and the pleasant bartender Vivian had readily accepted. The café stood close to the outskirts, so the thief wouldn't have to go too far into town.

"As soon as tomorrow, if you'd like." She flashed him a smile, clearly happy. It obviously didn't take much for her to enjoy life.

"Sure. See you tomorrow then."

Stepping outside into the bright sunlight, Envy felt something in his chest. He shook it away, but he knew what it was. He was feeling _normal_. Or as normal as he could get anyway.

He chanced a quick glance at the palace. It looked as big and radiant as ever, but peaceful, unlike the busy bustling streets before him that were currently filled with chattering, happy people.

That night, he knew, he was going to sneak in there once more. He also knew that it would be the last time he ever went thieving.

XXXXX

Night fell onto the city faster than Envy expected. Leaving his horse that Ed had given him and the groceries he had bought that day near the edge of the city, he passed on the rooftops, footfalls light and quick.

He entered the palace the same way as he had when going to kidnap Alphonse, but this time grappling onto the pharaoh's own bedroom balcony. He slipped inside the open glass doors and noted with some relief that the blonde was not in bed yet.

Pressing one ear to the door he listened for sounds of anyone approaching, and momentarily panicked as he heard a faint clicking and creaking. Envy jumped to the side of the door, placing himself flat against the wall and in a position where the door would only hit him if it was slammed back all the way. In this position, no one would see him as they entered.

The door opened halfway, and Envy couldn't even blink before it was shut once more, and he was left in the dark with the blonde pharaoh. Said blonde seemed to be in his own thoughts, for he didn't notice the Sin and continued on his course, headed for the balcony. Lucky for him Envy had hidden the grappling hook and rope he had used to get up here.

The thief didn't dare to breathe as Ed stopped, looking up suddenly at the star covered, clear sky. Very slowly, the Sin inched his hand toward the door handle, his eyes still trained on the pharaoh to look for any signs of movement.

Ed chuckled. "You think I didn't notice you?" He looked over his shoulder, narrowing his eyes unconsciously as he spotted the sneaky way he had hidden himself and the somewhat guilty look in his amethyst eyes.

"You're going thieving again?" He asked, and while his tone was casual, it had a biting edge that made Envy cringe inside.

"No." Envy's tone was just as casual and sharp, but his eyes were fierce as he gazed steadily back at the blonde. "There's something here that I need a copy of, and I just didn't plan on being seen. Of course, you're unpredictable, so it's hard to make things go perfectly."

Ed turned his liquid gold eyes back to the sky, his back still to Envy. "Fine. When you're done, come back here, and don't cause a mess. It's too late for that." The thief nodded his head, even if the blonde couldn't see it, and silently slipped out the door. He left it barely unlatched, so he wouldn't have trouble getting back in.

The lights were dimmed, allowing the royals to sleep. _'All for the better.'_ Envy thought, his footsteps quick and silent as he sprinted down the halls. Judging from the old memory in the back of his head, the memory of Pride showing him a map of the palace, the room he needed was somewhere around here. He only vaguely recalled it, simply because he tried to block out everything from his life with the other Sins.

Pressing his ear to the wooden door, Envy listened for movement inside. There was none, and because it was locked, he carefully picked it open with a sharp-pointed knife. Shutting the door gently, the Sin wandered around the room, glancing into cabinets and files that caught his eye.

Spotting a cabinet labeled with exactly what he needed, Envy tore through the files, pulling out one labeled 'Crime Reports' and tossing it onto the single desk abandoned in the darkened room. He fingered through the neatly-written reports, hi eyes searching faster as he got closer to his goal.

Finally he halted, drawing the report he needed from the thick stack. It was several pages long, but Envy didn't care. He withdrew pieces of paper from a hidden pocket and began to quickly copy it.

He didn't even have time to register the fact that the door was opened before it was shut once more and light flooded the room.

"Well, well. I thought I'd forgotten something." Envy glared over his shoulder, taking in the smiling man and decided he posed no threat. The man walked forward, still speaking as the Sin turned back to the documents.

He feigned a sigh. "But it's such a pain; Ed asking me to come all the way back here to pick up a file for him. And I really have _less than five minutes_ to get back to my darling wife and child."

Envy glanced up at him, hearing the hidden message within his words and nodding. "Who are you?" he whispered quietly. "What do you want?"

"Maes Hughes. I work for the investigations department here. Ed sent me to make sure there wouldn't be any trouble. There shouldn't be; everyone's sleeping." Envy nodded once more. Hughes began to shuffle papers in his hands, drowning out the sound of Envy's writing.

In a couple more minutes Envy was done, a completed copy of the document folded and stuffed carefully back into a hidden pocket. He returned everything to where it originally resided, nodded once more to Maes and crept out the door. He snuck back down the hallways; back into the big bedroom of the pharaoh.

Ed hadn't moved much, only stirred to sit on the balcony, still gazing up at the stars. As Envy approached he closed his eyes briefly before opening them once more, turning his eyes instead to the Sin, who was securely tying a rope to the stone pillar.

"You're going to leave already." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes. My business is finished here, and there's no need to interfere anymore." Envy's voice was detached, and he didn't meet the piercing golden eyes that watched him.

"…I see." Ed's tone was slightly different than before, and his eyes closed again. "Perhaps I'll see you again. Goodnight, Envy." With that he stood, red cloak blowing behind him as he walked into the bedroom, closing the double glass doors. He began to draw the curtains slowly, making sure Envy started down the rope before closing it completely.

Envy smiled sadly and thankfully at his retreating back, scurrying down the rope until he landed next to a house, climbing silently onto the roof and returning to his horse.

XXXXX

The next morning Envy woke with a groan, some of his muscles slightly sore from passing out on the couch, yet again. He had been too tired last night to crawl down the halls and into bed, so he simply crossed into the living room and slept.

Standing up he automatically glanced at the clock on the wall, the one that depicted the members of the Seven Sins. With a small growl he tore the clock off the wall, tossing it into the fireplace. He made a mental note to have a fire that night.

He had plenty of time to get into town, and decided to shower before doing anything else. The heat relaxed the tense muscles in his shoulders and back, giving temporary relief to the soreness. Suddenly he remembered that he'd never shown up in town much and realized that he would get lots of odd stares. He laughed, the sound reverberating off the walls and sounding louder than it was in the tiny bathroom.

XXXXX Time Skip one week XXXXX

Ed stared out his bedroom window, a sullen expression on his face. His eyes were carefully blank, devoid of emotion as his hands gripped the blanket; the dawn outside seemed to do nothing for his mood. It had been a week since he had last seen the green-haired thief; the same one that haunted his dreams like a pale ghost. A pale ghost that followed him even when he ran away, always showing conjured images of death for the Sin.

But that wasn't what was bothering him.

Every morning, Edward woke with widened eyes, the last scene always the same, always showing Envy covered in blood and staring up at the pharaoh with fading eyes. As Ed watched, Envy would draw up one hand, staring at it in disbelief. Then he would once again meet the golden eyes, and silently mouth words that seemed to condemn the blonde, blaming him for his death.

Ed usually woke to the sounds of his own muffled hysterics, blankets bound tightly around his body. However, even with the realistic and frightening images, he knew that Envy was safe. The ones that would try to hurt him were locked up, imprisoned and miles away from him, and even if someone did try to hurt him, the thief would be able to take care of himself.

So it wasn't a matter about Envy that concerned him.

It was his mother.

Instead of the usual pictures his mind came up with, it was Trisha's chocolate eyes that replaced Envy's unusual amethyst, Trisha's chocolate hair that replaced Envy's odd emerald. And it was her that began to hold him responsible for her demise.

It was around then that Al had come in.

The opening of his door had alerted him, bringing him back to consciousness immediately, his muscles tensed in preparation. But it had only been Al, rubbing his eyes tiredly and asking timidly to sleep with his brother. Ed had accepted, thankful that for once his nightmares were interrupted.

Somehow, his subconscious had remembered that today was the anniversary of his mother's death, but perhaps it had come in that form for a reason…

The blonde shook his head, trying to clear his mind of those thoughts. It wasn't his fault she had died, right? He hadn't understood what was happening to her, until he got older and opened his eyes to the cruelty the world possessed. And besides, it didn't do him any good by blaming himself, because it wouldn't bring her back. He also had Alphonse to take care of, today especially.

On the anniversary of his mother's death.

Ed sighed, rubbing his temples fiercely and reaching over to shake his brother awake.

XXXXX

The two brothers walked solemnly into town, both wearing almost identical jackets. Both held the symbol of the flamel on the back, except that Alphonse's was blue while Ed's was red. They thought that they were going out unnoticed, but three figures watched from an upper window.

"I don't like them going off alone like that." Izumi growled, her overprotective side taking over when it came to the two she considered sons. Her arms were folded across her chest, and she narrowed her eyes as Ed and Al slipped from her view.

Roy chuckled. "They'll be ok. They're old enough to take care of themselves for a little while." Even though his hands were in his pockets, they were still encased in the protective white ignition cloth, just in case of an emergency.

Izumi turned her glare back on the black-haired man. "I didn't ask for your opinion."

"I didn't give it." Roy retorted over his shoulder, leading his irritated wife away. "I was merely stating the facts!"

"Roy…" Riza started to speak, but she stopped and looked away.

"Hmm? What is it, Riza?"

"Well, I think I'm…pregnant."

The sudden jerking of halted movement, the dumbfounded look, the slack-jawed glassy eyed face, were all things Riza expected. What she didn't expect, was to be swept up in a hug, her husband happily swinging her around, kissing her gently.

She smiled back at him, knowing that even though Ed and Al were "unofficial family", they could have another family as well, one that came from their blood.

XXXXX

"Brother?"

Alphonse's voice broke through the path Ed's thoughts were going, halting the train that still lingered on the morning's despair.

"Yeah, Al?" Blue-grey eyes flickered over his movements, noticing the way Ed's eyes didn't leave the ground beneath their feet.

"What's wrong?" The younger asked knowingly. He could tell when his brother was bothered.

"Nothing."

Al sighed. That was his answer for everything! He never let anyone else carry the world for a while, or at least share the weight. He spoke quietly, not wanting to attract attention. "Is it about Mom?"

Ed seemed to choke on the breath of air he was taking in, blinking. "Yeah. Kinda." He managed.

Alphonse hummed slightly in agreement, looking around the town, where people were only just beginning to stir. He decided not to push the subject, at least not here, and not now. The continued trudging down the middle of the road, Al glancing halfheartedly into the different shops, his brother still lost in his thoughts, even as his feet moved automatically.

It was then that the younger spotted a café, right next to a flower shop. Having left early in the morning, they had pretty much skipped breakfast. Reaching over, he gently pulled the red coat sleeve. The single motion, even though it was light, it stopped the elder in his tracks.

"Come on, Brother!" Al's happy eyes sparkled back at him, excited by the basic things in life. "Let's go get some brunch, ok? You must be hungry, right?" Alphonse babbled on cheerfully.

Ed groaned under his breath as Al dragged him the rest of the way to the café, unknowingly that he was going to enjoy the experience.

**Ok, bad news: This chapter was short and uneventful (or to me it was). The good news: The next couple of chapters are almost completely written! Aren't you all lucky?!**

**Now, if only I could get a couple reviews? Please? I mean, come on, only four reviews for last chapter?! And since I reposted chapters 1 and 2, I have over 5000 hits! Woot! I love my Taichou! Credit to him for helping me rewrite it and my betas for always going over my work! Luvs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**But anyway! If maybe we can breach the 50 review goal, ne, ne? That would make one author veeeerrry happy!!!!!!! And maybe, if I'm motivated enough, I can make myself slip in another kiss scene? Maybe?? Not in chapter 16…chapter 17 might have a good spot…**

**/Shakes head/ Anyway, REVIEW!!!!!!! OR NO KISSY/POSSIBLE SMEXY SCENES BETWEEN EDO AND ENVY/cough cough/**

**Panic's note -**

**MUST. HAVE. KISSING. SCENE. Review people!! Come on, review for the next chapter! Gah, I want to read the next chapter now! I am going to camp out and wait. Peace Far.**

**Eh heh heh. Kissing scene…right. Must remember to put one in…Yes! I can do this! I just need reviews to spur me on, right? SO REVIEW!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own the songs mentioned here. I have merely tried to describe them (which is impossible) to add to the story's plot and to add character. They belong to their respective animes and artists. (I don't know all the artists' names sorry!) Wolf's Rain: 'Mouth on Fire'; 'Valse de la Lune' by Yoko Kanno; 'Shiro long tail's' by Yoko Kanno; 'Silver River' by Yoko Kanno; 'Escape' by Yoko Kanno. Princess Mononoke: 'The Tatara Women Work Song' by Joe Hisaishi**

_Chapter 16: Crossing Different Paths_

As Ed and Al stepped into the café, they noticed everyone waiting with anticipation, watching a small band set up instruments on a platform. They all carefully arranged several sets of drums, a set of chimes, and a female sitting in a chair was gently polishing a small harp.

The one thing that caught Ed's attention was Envy, who hung up a white apron before stepping out from behind the counter. He headed for the windowsill, where a shiny wooden box sat underneath. Just as he passed the band, one of the members told him, "We'll start with 'Mouth on Fire' ok?" Envy gave a nod, and continued on his way.

The band began to play, drums striking up a beat while several dancers began to pound the ground, adding to the beat and rhythm. After a few seconds, the dancers clapped in sync along with several of their band members.

Everything suddenly stopped. The dancers and players seemed frozen, except for some low drums slowing down. Then they started again; the rhythm had changed, drums playing louder and higher, and a tambourine began to vibrate, along with shakers. A small version of a guitar strummed, and soon after the harp played a few measures.

Once again the music slowed, the dancers flowed gracefully to a stop, and the drums receded, before stopping. Everyone seemed to take a collective breath, and everything began to play again, this time with the addition of a violin.

Ed gaped. Envy leaned against the windowsill, the wind gently playing with his hair. His amethyst eyes were closed, with his chin resting against the pad as his pale long fingers pressed or released the strings on the neck of the violin, his other arm moving the bow with liquid-like smoothness.

Everyone was hushed as the music became louder, coming to a climax. Then, just as quickly as the chaos began, it faded away softly, only the violin and drums playing gently, until they too faded, and the song ended.

The audience began to clap, cheering, startling Ed out of his trance. The group shifted, including Envy, who looked over expectantly to the other players as he brought one leg up to rest inside the window. One of the dancers, the only one wearing red, while the others wore white, swayed over to him and whispered in his ear. He nodded once more, and adjusted the position of his violin so the neck rested against his own, the bow placed carefully in his lap.

The red dancer, a girl with chocolate brown eyes to match her hair, moved back to the center of the stage, waiting. A single drum played a beat, and then the other drums and guitar joined in, Envy plucking the strings on his violin to create a different sound. The female began to sing in a different language, but one that was soft and soothing, that vaguely reminded Ed of his mother, even though her voice was nothing compared to hers.

Envy replaced the violin into its regular position, the bow once again in his hand. He played up a scale, and then faded to lower notes. He continued playing his piece, going higher and then lower, playing from memory, the other dancers swaying and singing a chorus background.

Edward was in another trance, watching with amazement as Envy played, captivated by the graceful movement of Envy's body, and the lovely sound it played. Al smiled as his brother seemed happy, for the first time in a week, and also comforted and content, something that had not happened since their mother's death.

When the song ended, the only sound was the violin echoing, which was the last to stop playing. Everyone watching was silent for a moment, then burst into even louder applause than before.

"Can I get you two gentlemen something?" A waitress startled the two royals, blinking for a few seconds before the question registered in their brains. "I'll just have water please." Alphonse said politely.

The waitress turned to Ed. "Water too, please." He answered.

She nodded, and left. The band began to play a jazz-type piece, featuring a guitar instrument rather than the violin, like the other two had done. Envy had small parts here and there, playing expertly as he rose higher and lower quickly. Ed decided he didn't like this song much. (A/N: Guess why? I'll give you a hint. E.N.V.Y. :P)

The waitress came back with their drinks setting them down in front of them. "They're wonderful aren't they?" She said to them, striking up a conversation. Both blondes nodded. "I'm so glad I hired them. Everyone really seems to enjoy it, and it's nice to have music to work to." (A/N: She's the manager, in case you can't tell by her sentence.)

"Does he work here or with the band?" Ed, sounding casual, tilted his head slightly too where Envy was sitting, continuing with the song, his eyes still closed.

The waitress smiled. "Both. He works here during the day and sometimes at night, but always plays with them. He gets paid extra that way, and it's another break from working." The manager glanced fondly at all the band members, saying absently, "You know what's really amazing? I've never seen them practice together. Apparently they're all so good, they only need to practice their parts at home, and then they can come in here and play from memory! Of course some of their songs they play repeatedly, but they frequently add new songs."

Both blondes nodded again, and with one last friendly smile, the woman left.

The song ended, and this time all the band members glanced to Envy to decide what song to play. He looked thoughtful for a moment, and then said plainly. "Shiro's long tails." They nodded and smiled; this one seemed to be Envy's favorite song to play, even if it was the most difficult for him. A man who had been playing a set of drums took out a worn viola (A/N: Yes there's a difference between a violin and a viola!) and sat in a chair, holding it at the ready. He watched Envy, who tapped three times with his foot ever so gently against the wall, and they both took a collective breath before playing.

The second man was clearly a background player, as Envy's piece included more difficult notes and a harder rhythm. Envy's brows just barely furrowed, changing the beat of his violin, going higher and higher, then playing gently with long notes as the second man played a repetitive beat with different notes each time. Then they both played consecutively up a scale, reminding Ed of a spiral staircase.

Then they played up, going higher again, reminding Edward of cresting a sand dune, and finally began to soar down, like a bird gently decreasing in altitude. Several flutes began to play, but was only a side dish compared to the stringed instruments.

Envy played long, high notes, and then they went back to the beat they had first played, the second man holding the highest note as Envy continued to make his notes fly. They grew louder, then ended with Envy playing the last note that he held, decreasing the pitch until his bow quietly slipped off the violin. Ed decided that this one was definitely his favorite song.

His eyes finally opened, not even acknowledging the ecstatic crowd, but merely looking over to the second man, who Ed noticed had a faded scar in the shape of an X on his forehead. His red eyes were thoughtful, choosing the next song.

Edward ignored the once again shifting band, and turned to take sip of his water to cool his flushed face and trying to steady his suddenly pounding heart.

"Nii-san?"

A voice made him jump, and he nearly choked on the liquid in his mouth. "Yeah, Al? What is it?" He asked.

Al's blue-green eyes looked worried. "Daijoubu? (A/N: 'Are you alright?' I believe I spelled that right. If I didn't, please correct me.) You're all red. Are you sick?"

Ed smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little warm I guess."

Alphonse smiled back. "That's what you get for wearing black in the desert." He replied teasingly.

They fell quiet as the band began to play again, this time starting out with one set of drums pounding out a fast beat, the dancers wearing castanets on their middle fingers and thumbs, clapping them together. More drums added in, then the guitar. Quickly, flutes the played up a scale, then immediately after Envy played up. They repeated several times, and then stopped for a second. The beat had changed when the music started back up, the flutes and violin playing frantically, almost as if something was trying to escape. It was a fast beat, and at the very end, Envy's violin started at the middle of the scale, went down, played it once more, and then played from the top of the scale to the bottom, and ran back up to the top.

It was a sudden stop, and the song had only lasted about a minute and a half. As the audience began clapping, Envy stood up from the window, bending down to place the violin gently back into its case. He walked behind the crowd, who were watching the band set up for another song.

Ed watched as Envy called back into the kitchens. "Vivian! I'm going for lunch now!" He walked away without waiting for an answer, but stopped at the doorway as Vivian's voice called after him. "Can you work late tonight? One of the night-shift workers—" She stopped as Envy merely gave a backwards wave and left, smiling warmly.

Ed stood up quickly, grabbing his red coat from the chair. "Al, let's go." He left quickly, forcing himself to look casual, even though he was actually in a great hurry.

"Nii-san, wait!" Al placed a handful of gold and silver coins on the table, waving goodbye to Vivian as he rushed after his brother, whose eyes were wide at the amount of money left on the table. She wasn't even going to charge them!

XXXXX

Ed followed Envy's dodging body, slipping in between people as he tried to catch up to the ex-thief. He saw the tips of his green hair slip into a deserted ally, and followed. The pharaoh stopped suddenly.

It was a dead end!

Alphonse came up behind him, nearly running into his brother in the process. He panted, trying to catch his breath. Ed stepped forward, eyes narrowed with confusion. _How could he have just disappeared?_ He thought.

A startled yelp came from Al behind him, but as the blond spun around, his brother was gone! His eyes flashed, but before he could do anything else, strong slender arms wrapped around his waist, launching both of them upwards.

After the initial shock wore off, he began struggling. He was immediately released and landed on a rooftop next to his brother. He spun around, searching for the person who grabbed them. His eyes landed on Envy's smug face, who merely lay down on his back with his arms folded behind his head.

Ed decided to cover his embarrassment and surprise with anger. "What the hell, Envy?"

Envy gave a half shrug. "You were following me."

"So?"

Another half shrug was his answer, and the three were silent, Envy watching the sky, ignoring the golden orbs that were glued to him. Al simply looked from one to the other, waiting to see what would happen.

"So why'd you come here anyway?" Envy's voice broke through the cloud of silence that had descended on the trio.

Both Elrics were silent, their eyes downcast. "Today's the day…" Al started to answer, but stopped, unable to finish.

"Our mom died." Ed's voice was sad, but he sounded angry, like he resented the day itself.

Envy looked between the two, unsure of what to say. "I'm sorry." He said at last.

"Don't be. It's not your fault." With a hint of bitterness in his voice, Ed explained what had happened. "Mom only got sick after waiting for _him _to become normal again."

'Him _must be Hohenheim._' Envy thought.

"He got obsessed with power, and began to think only about himself. He forced a lot of people into slavery, and started too many wars he couldn't finish." Ed continued, his hands clenching into fists. "He even had the audacity to send us, his own flesh and blood, to war while he was safe and content in the palace!"

"That's why I hate him."

Surprised at the interruption, Ed glanced at Envy, who was still absently staring at the sky. "He turned everything upside down, and made life horrible for everyone. That's why…" Envy paused. "I'm happy he's dead."

Standing up, the thief stretched, glancing back to the stunned brothers behind him. "Well? Are you coming?"

"Coming where?" Ed's voice had instinctively taken on a defensive tone.

"To lunch. It is my break you know, and I'm hungry."

XXXXX

As the trio stepped into the nearly empty bar, they were greeted enthusiastically by the bartender and several of the customers, some playing pool and some playing cards.

"Hey Envy! The usual?" the bartender asked. Envy nodded in response, raising his hand in salutation to the other regulars.

"Play a hand next round?" a woman playing cards called over to him. She had an automail arm like Ed, but unlike him, both of her legs were automail.

"Not today, Paninya. Maybe tomorrow." Envy responded.

"Aw! Not coming in tonight?"

"No. I'm working tonight. Thanks Dominic." The bartender handed him a brown paper bag. The Sin pulled out a handful of mixed coins and handed them to the man, smiling slightly. With that, he pulled the two brothers outside, and they returned to the rooftops, this time the Royals making it up on their own.

Envy sat down and opened the bag, pulling out a dumpling. "Want some?" he asked, taking a bit of the gooey pastry. Both brothers shook their heads, so Envy shrugged and lay back, staring at the sky as he ate. Ed and Al sat on either side of him, and for a while, there was a comfortable silence between them.

"Do you go to that bar often?" Ed finally asked, trying to start up a conversation.

Envy swallowed the bit in his mouth before replying, his violet eyes never leaving the sky as he fished out another dumpling. "Yeah. Dominick makes really good dumplings, and occasionally I buy wine or something from there." Finally the Sin sat up with a soft sigh, stuffing the rest of the pastry in his mouth and chewing carefully so he didn't choke.

"By the way, Edo, thanks for lunch." Envy stood up, brushing non-existent dust of his clothing as Ed looked at him in surprise.

"Huh?" In between two pale slender fingers Envy held a black wallet, a silver engraving of the flamel imprinted on it. In disbelief, Ed's hands searched the pockets of his jacket and leather pants, golden eyes narrowing with anger as his search came up empty.

"Why, you!" He leaped up at Envy, reaching for the wallet, but the thief danced out of the way, smirking.

When the pharaoh jumped at him again, chasing him, the Sin once again moved away. They continued their dance, the green-haired thief always staying just out of Ed's reach. At one point they ran in a tight circle around Al, who sat as still as possible when one is holding back laughter. Then they moved away, Edward following as Envy jumped back and forth between two roofs. Alphonse merely watched from his seat, amusement clearly written across his face.

Finally they headed back, slower this time, both panting. Envy stopped running, toppling over when Ed recovered his breath enough to jump on him.

"Okay." The blonde started, still winded. He closed his eyes, trying to breathe normally. "Give me…back…my…wallet." When he opened his eyes again he scowled; Envy's smirk was back in place.

"Why, whatever do you mean?" The thief faked innocence. "I don't have your wallet."

"Don't mess with me." Ed's tone wasn't angry, but it was definitely annoyed.

"I believe your brother has it. In his jacket pocket, perhaps?" Envy replied smoothly. The blonde above him whipped his head around to stare in astonishment as Al ran his fingers on the outside of his pockets, his own eyes widening as he brushed across a newly formed bump. As he pulled out the black wallet, Ed turned back to the Sin.

"How'd you do that?"

Envy shrugged, or as best he could with the blonde still on his hips. Al clapped his hands suddenly, laughing with almost childish delight. Ed smiled at his brother's happiness, to busy to notice as Envy leaned up until his lips were close to brushing the pharaoh's ear.

"Ya'know Edo, while this is a _very_ compromising situation, I prefer to be on top."

Ed blushed heavily, quickly getting up and off of the Sin. Envy heard a soft muttered '_bastard_' and smirked. He stretched, balled up the empty paper bag and turned to the two blondes, the younger handing the elder his lost wallet.

Envy yawned, stretching once more. "I'm heading back to the shop now." He told them. The two brothers shared a glance.

"Yeah." Ed murmured quietly in response. "We have to go. See you later?" His only reply was Envy's retreating back and backwards wave.

"Come on, Al." Ed whispered after the Sin was gone. "Let's go…see Mom."

XXXXX

"Hey, Envy! Back already?" Vivian asked as she passed him. She was carefully balancing a tray full of dirty dishes on her hip with one hand, carrying an order in the other. Her hair was pulled back in a French braid, practical as always.

He only nodded to her, and she smiled. "Thank you for staying tonight. I have a feeling I'll need the extra help." Envy nodded again.

She sighed. "So serious." Then she smiled again. "That's ok. Tonight's going to be lucky, I can feel it."

Envy tilted his head slightly in confusion. Before he could ask her what she meant, she had excused herself and disappeared into the kitchens, handing the request to a cook in the back, and the thief heard the telltale sounds of clanking tableware as Vivian placed them in the sink.

Amethyst eyes swept around the room, observing that no one needed table services at the moment. He tied the white apron around his waist and snuck into the back to help the manager with the dishes.

XXXXX

After dropping off Alphonse and spending a few hours back at the palace, Edward returned to the city, his hood drawn up against the night rainfall. In exchange for his bright, visible red coat, however, he wore a brown one, comfortable but inconspicuous. It also didn't carry the flamel on the back, making it even less eye-catching.

He glanced back once over his shoulder, as a last check to make sure no one was following. Then he swiftly entered a side café, making it look like he was merely going in to get out of the rain and get a drink.

It was still a bit early in the night, so not many of the night owls were alive yet. Ed took an available table with a view of the corner where the band played, but was still out of the way.

The manager, Vivian if his mind was correct, bustled out of the kitchens, carrying a long stack of sparkling crystal glasses. "Oh! I'm sorry! I'll be right with you, ok?"

The blonde waved his hand in a nonchalant gesture. "Take your time." He said just loud enough for her to hear.

When she got around to him, she bowed and apologized profusely. He waved off her confessions, simply watching her with distracted golden eyes. "Now," she straightened, business-like. "What can I get for you?"

Golden orbs flickered quickly over the menu, scanning the alcohol carefully. "I'll have a glass of ale, please."

"Right away."

As he slowly sipped the amber liquid inside the crystal glass, Ed watched other customers slowly filter in, some of the band members arriving as well. The members grouped around one table, some sitting on the surface, some standing, and some sitting in the four chairs. They had a laid-back air to them, relaxing and drinking light cocktails and white wine.

As the café turned bar began to fill up with people, ordering drinks and dinner, the band left the table and returned to their original spot to begin set up. There was a soft squeak of a door's hinges, and normal people would have ignored it, but the blonde found he couldn't.

He tore his eyes away from the quietly murmuring band, discreetly glancing to the entrance to the kitchens. Ed's breath caught in his throat.

Envy leaned against the wall opposite the counter, arms half-crossed and sipping a drink of his own. His amethyst eyes glowed slightly in the lighting of the café, watching the band set up and looking for disturbed customers at the same time. His eyes flickered over Ed's table, and when the Sin gazed away again the blonde let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

At last the band began to play, starting out with a slow beat so the women could warm up their voices. Halfway through the song Ed glanced back to the corner he had seen Envy, only to notice that the ex-thief had disappeared. Then he saw the familiar emerald hair slipping through the crowd, the formerly worn white apron left folded on the counter.

Envy went to the same wooden case that held the violin, and took up what Ed assumed was his "usual place" to play. It was his turn to choose the song again, and he immediately chose Shiro's long tails. The blonde smiled into his drink, anticipating the musical notes when he noticed Vivian slowly making her way through the crowd. Her route was indirect, but she was definitely making her way towards him, and he refused to believe that she only wanted to check if he had everything.

Sure enough, after reaching his table, she took out a damp cloth and began to scrub at the edge, edging around until she was close enough to hear him if he spoke.

"You want to know something, correct?"

Ed took a deep breath, and then released it slowly. "Yeah." He replied. "That'd be a great help."

Vivian's blue eyes flashed to his for a second, and even though his features were hidden by the cowl of his hood, the blonde knew that she had figured out who he was. "What do you want to know?"

Ed reached up and pulled back the hood, running his left fingers through his bangs. His golden orbs glanced to Envy, who continued playing, and then bounced back to Vivian's. She got his message.

"Well…"

**Muhaha! I'm so evil, leaving you with this cliffie. What's Vivian going to say about Envy? Will Envy find out about this 'secret telling' conversation? Ha ha! I'm so excited! And I'm the writer for Goddesses' sake! Ah well. Review and I'll put in a kissy scene! Or at least I'm trying to. Come on! Let's try to make the writer happy, ok?**

**Ale?! It still sounds kinda old-ish for me to write him ordering that. He can have whatever he wants, he's 21 dammit! Lol. Arguing with myself again. Points to blueeyedchibi for the idea of ale; I couldn't figure out what to put…**

**Panic's note----**

**Aww, Envy playing the violin! What a Happy picture! He'll look so hot playing the violin; I wish the anime/manga had that in it. DAMN FOR THE CLIFFIE! Now I really want to know what happens! REVIEW and get the next chapter! Please, I'll give you a cookie!**

**Author Notes:**

**Um…yeah, a cookie. That's really not bribery lol. Please review, your author is currently very sad and needs a review to cheer her up.**


	17. Chapter 17

_Chapter 17: Confessions and Forgiveness_

"I don't know much about him." Vivian admitted. "He keeps to himself most of the time, and doesn't talk much about his personal life." She leaned closer, making it look like she was simply cleaning the table. "I have, however, seen him leave town a couple of times with a black and white horse following, pulling a cart full of building materials. I'm not sure what he's building out there, and I'm not sure I want to know."

She straightened, smiling. "Well, enjoy your drink."

Ed nodded and the bartender left, leaving the blonde to his thoughts. He swirled the amber liquid inside his glass slowly, shifting his eyes to rest solely on the Sin.

As if sensing the gaze on him, Envy opened his eyes at the end of his song, flickering through the crowd's faces before meeting with liquid gold. The last note continued to play, slowly fading away until it was completely silent.

Then applause erupted from the many fans cluttered around the small café, startling both of them. Simultaneously they looked away, Ed's gaze returning to the alcohol in his hand and Envy's to the other band members.

After deciding the next song the band began to play again, but at the end of every song gold and amethyst met, silently watching each other.

XXXXX

Later that night everyone filed out the door, laughing and happy. Some looked too happy, probably a little tipsy, but Ed said nothing, and helped Envy put the chairs up on the tables. Vivian came out of the back room just as they finished, her smile light and teasing.

"Hey, you're pretty useful, maybe I should hire you too, eh, _pharaoh_?"

Ed started, choking on the drink he was trying to swallow. He coughed, and Envy pounded gently on his back. "How…how did you know?" he managed to ask between sputters.

The woman shrugged. "I've seen you around, and the people here are always describing the young blonde-haired golden-eyed pharaoh that they love so much." Edward flushed slightly, and Vivian changed the subject. "So what is it, huh?"

The blonde gave her a confused look, and she elaborated. "Your name, your name. I can't go around talking without addressing someone now, can I?"

The pharaoh seemed to regain his composure. "Edward. Edward Elric."

Vivian smiled again. "Nice to meet you Edward."

XXXXX

Ed and Envy said their goodbyes to Vivian, walking together towards the edge of the city, where Envy's pinto horse stood patiently, harness already attached to the wooden cart behind it. There was a brown blanket tossed over the top, covering the contents from curious eyes. Ed didn't comment on it; he trusted Envy enough to think that the ex-thief couldn't be doing something _too_ dangerous.

"So…" Ed began, trying to break the slightly awkward silence between them. "How long has it been since you started working there?"

Envy glanced down at the blonde from his position in the cart, checking whatever was underneath the tarp. His amethyst eyes were thoughtful. "Mm, about a week I think." He shrugged, going back to his inspection. "It's easy work, and provides enough to get by. I don't want anything big, ya'know?"

He hopped down over the side, landing in a crouch. As he stood up, he brushed the hair back from his face, an expression flashing slightly in his eyes. Ed tried to place it, but let it go. Then he realized it: Envy was uneasy.

"Ne, Ed." The Sin wasn't looking at him, staring out into the swirling abyss that was the desert after dark. "Would you…like to come back for a drink?"

The blonde noticed the ex-thief's hesitation, somewhat curious as to why. "Sure." He replied, noticing how Envy's shoulders relaxed immediately. "If it won't bother you."

"Of course not." Envy grinned. "You just get to walk for a while."

That being said, the Sin clucked his tongue to start the pinto moving, the pharaoh walking beside him as they headed towards the old hideout.

XXXXX

"So," Envy skillfully tipped a bottle of red wine into the two short crystal glasses he held in his other hand. "What made you come back?" He walked to an unoccupied chair in the sitting room, across from the blonde. A small table sat between them, and the pharaoh was leisurely shuffling a deck of cards.

As he received one of the glasses, Ed replied with a shrug, taking a first gulp. "I just wanted to." He neglected to mention that the real reason he came back was because he wanted to see a particular ex-thief. They had made themselves comfortable, Ed's coat draped over the back of his chair, his boots deposited by the front door.

Envy nodded in reply, cutting the deck with a small hum. He watched Ed begin to deal with an almost catlike expression, eyes flickering back and forth as cards flew to both sides of the table.

They began to play, casually talking. It was a series of questions and loose but direct answers, broken only by pauses during which someone took a sip of the alcohol. The bottle never seemed to get any emptier.

"Why do you refer to that one chocolate colored horse as Mom?" Envy asked, throwing down his hand in defeat.

Ed passed his share of cards to the other side of the table, where the ex-thief gathered them up to shuffle them. "My own mother had chocolate colored shoulder length hair, blue-green eyes that Al inherited. A year after she died, on her birthday, that filly was born. As soon as she could walk, she immediately took a liking to Alphonse and I. And she acts like a mother to us as well. It's almost scary, but sometimes it seems as if part of my mother is actually present there."

Envy nodded, shuffling and dealing. The pharaoh was taking sips of the red liquid, his golden eyes deep in thought. Finally, he asked his question. "When you snuck into the palace last week, what did you do? I know nothing was stolen, so what did you do?"

The Sin picked up his hand, tossing down three cards. He smirked slightly, amused at the blonde's question. "Haven't you noticed?" As Ed's eyes narrowed thoughtfully, Envy licked one finger and ran it along the edge of his glass, making the crystal sing. "Think." The ex-thief murmured quietly. "Has there been any change in reports?"

Ed continued thinking, closing his eyes in remembrance.

//Flashback//

"Good morning, Roy." Ed yawned, padding through one of the palace's libraries. He was currently trying to get to the kitchens, having just woken up.

"Morning Ed." Roy sat at a desk, staring intently at the many neatly written documents as he flipped through them. The daily paperwork sat off to one side, as usual, but the black haired man was usually looking bored, not actually doing the work. Something had to be wrong. (A/N: I couldn't resist. I made fun of Roy T.T)

"What's wrong?" Stopping his one track mind intent on food, the blonde walked over to the desk, picking up several sheets that had been left in the same folder. "Criminal reports?"

"Theft reports, actually."

Ed's eyes snapped up to glance at him, then returned to scanning the papers. "Has there been more trouble?"

Roy shook his head. "Since the Seven Sins were caught, there haven't been any thefts at all. These reports are from the people, but they all consist of the citizens telling us we have no need to search for their missing belongings anymore. Their riches and objects have been returned. Those who lost valuables found bags of money to replace the items, and all of it was found inside their homes, even the ones that had locks on their doors. I just can't believe all of this was done in one night!"

Ed smiled and returned the papers to the folders, saying goodbye and returning to his 'quest' of finding food.

//End Flashback//

"You returned everything?" Ed asked, opening his eyes to focus on Envy. The Sin nodded, motioning for the blonde to play, stopping his musical glass playing.

The pharaoh obliged, drawing one card. "That still doesn't tell me what you did though."

"I copied the theft reports." Envy replied coolly. "I needed to know the addresses of each valuable before I returned everything. Just to make sure everyone got something."

They played more rounds, a comfortable silence lying upon them like a warm blanket.

XXXXX

Envy was shuffling the deck this time, eyes closed serenely, waiting for Ed to take his turn at a question. Said blonde was draining his…some-odd glass. They both had lost count after four.

As the glass was placed back on the table, the ex-thief topped it off for him, the pharaoh cutting the deck in return. "Why did you join the Seven Sins in the first place?" Ed finally asked.

Envy stiffened slightly, the alcohol doing nothing to stop his body from shooting a rush of adrenaline throughout his bloodstream, his brain unconsciously getting ready to defend itself. Then he relaxed, remembering who he was with and how he was in no danger. He started to deal. 'Besides,' he thought as the energy was swept away. 'Ed probably won't remember anything.' Sure enough, the blonde's cheeks were rosy with the alcohol, and his eyes were slightly hazy.

He sighed, running one hand through his hair before discarding some cards. He knew the questions would turn serious eventually. "Your father, Hohenheim, did really bad things while he ruled. You know this. I grew up then. The streets were a bad place to be, especially at night, but I didn't care. I had an older brother, and one night I decided to follow him out. Apparently he was meeting up with one of the big-shot gangs."

Ed nodded, playing his turn as he waited for Envy to drink.

"They were dealing with something illegal. I don't know what it was, but my brother was a part of it. Don't get me wrong," he added, as if trying to defend his brother's actions. "My brother wasn't a bad person, so he must have felt it was his job to help out and get some money. Times were tough. And they got caught."

Their round ended, and Ed swept up all the cards, gathering them together to be placed back neatly into a little stack. Envy didn't object, resting his head on one hand while slowly swirling the red liquid inside his glass.

"The next morning my mother had sent me to go out shopping, what little shopping there was anyway. When I came back, the place was swarming with military personnel. I watched as they lit torches and some explosives, throwing them in the windows. I heard all three of their screams as the house burned to ash, and the bombs exploded." Envy drained what was left in his glass, then polished off half of the next one.

"Greed found me in some alley about a month after that. I knew it was Hohenheim's fault, because who else could have ordered it? He told me the group he was part of could help me get revenge on the pharaoh." He smirked. "Too bad some lucky bastard beat us to it."

"So you settled for the next best thing, his sons." It was a quiet realization, but it was the truth, and Envy flinched. He put his glass down.

"Yes, but I don't blame you anymore. How could I possibly have known that you two were different than him? Sure, you began to help everyone again, but I still thought you were cruel, and waiting for the chance to bring everything down again."

Ed nodded, pouring more of the blood red wine into both glasses. "It's alright. I don't like it when people try to hurt the ones I love, but I can kind of see where you're coming from. It doesn't erase the fact that you still went through with it, but now I know you were misled."

"I know I've done bad things. I don't care that I can't ever get rid of the scars I've gotten, or the sins I've committed. It's ok." Envy was looking sideways, at the wall. When the blonde followed his gaze, he saw a small discoloration in the wood where the Seven Sins' clock used to be. "It's ok, if I can't ever be forgiven."

He glanced back at Ed, smiling as he noticed the small, almost non-existent nodding of his head. Envy drained the last of the wine in his glass, then headed around to the other side of the table. Golden eyes looked blearily up at him, half-lidded with weariness and dilated with the alcohol.

"Come on." Envy said quietly, holding out his hand to the blond. He used it to pull Ed close, one arm slipping around his waist for support. Together they began the walk down the hallway.

In one of the spare bedrooms, Envy laid a half-sleeping Edward on the bed, the covers and sheets already pulled back to allow passage for a body. He contemplated leaving him there, still in his clothes, but realized it would probably be very uncomfortable come morning.

Even as he gave a small sigh, the ex-thief began his work with a tiny smile. The blonde has spoken three words to him before passing out, three words that were small, but meant a lot, especially to him.

Envy placed a gentle kiss on the sleeping blonde's forehead, pulling the covers up and leaving the room quietly with a soft, "Good night."

_I forgive you._

**Gah! I am so sorry about the late update! You guys probably don't want to hear it, you just want more, right? I realize this is a short chapter, but it's been a while since I've updated, and if I continued right now, it would have gone on forever! Lol. Not really, but it would be a long time before I could break it off again.**

**Once again, sorry for the lateness!**

**Blueeyedchibi: Fantastic chapter, as usual. I thought this one flowed particularly well, though. Review!**

**A/N: Lol, thank you. And the mystery of Envy's past is revealed! …Which I pretty much made up late at night lol. I think I did okay. Also, I'm not quite sure when chapter 18 will be up, because I have a lot of crap to deal with. I won't bore you all, but the main plot is that I will be taking a vacation and then moving to another state! No, I'm not excited. But it is very stressful, so I hope you guys will understand if nothing is posted for a while.**

**Until then, dream of "THE MORNING AFTER!" Lol. Kidding, I'm just dramatic sometimes. :P**

**Panic's Note –**

**Gah!? I really want to find out what happens in the next chapter, and if you feel the same as me, then I reckon you should REVIEW this wonderful chapter! REVIEW and get more chapters! Peace Far.**

**Yup. That's about it. Once again, I might not post anything for a while, simply because I have a lot of reality crap to deal with. Nothing to do with you guys, so don't think that I'm punishing you or something.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I don't own the song I once again attempted to write out. Belongs to respective artist(s). It's an awesome song btw, check it out!!! Mission 24, by Yamaguchi Mayumi (A.K.A. Envy's Japanese Voice Actor). Website below for those who want to find it, just take out the spaces and put the stuff in when needed. Credit to razatip for telling me about this. He/she said they were surprised I didn't make Envy sing when I made him play the violin.**

**h t t p / w w wd(dot)e x p x e(dot)c o m(slash)M e d i a(dot)h t m l**

**I also don't own Prelude 12/21, by AFI.**

_Chapter 18: Oblivious Mornings_

Ed woke up in an unfamiliar place, disoriented from sleep. For once, he hadn't had a nightmare of death, and gotten a well-deserved good night's sleep. As his brain began to work again, he remembered falling asleep at the ex-hideout, and barely remembered Envy helping him to a room. He thought he remembered a feather-light kiss, but other than that his memory was blank. Speaking of the Sin, the blonde realized he was nowhere to be found.

Climbing out of bed was difficult. Having a splitting headache pounding through his head made it hard enough, but when he threw back the covers, a rush of cool air pushed through his body, freezing him to the bone. Someone had taken him out of his clothing, save for his boxers, but thoughtfully placed extra blankets on the bed to protect against the nighttime desert chill.

Ed felt his cheeks heat as he realized that there was only one person who could have undressed him if he hadn't been awake to do it himself.

The blonde noticed his clothes, freshly washed and folded neatly on a nearby chair, along with his hair tie resting on top. As he pulled the black tank top over his head, he found that he recognized the scent.

It smelled faintly of an herbal soap, a type he had never used before, but it also smelled of the Sin directly, which caused a small smile to form on his face. He hurried to put on the rest of his clothing, not wanting to think about it _that_ second. He decided to leave his hair down for now, placing the tie on his left wrist.

He wandered down the hallway, eventually finding his way to the kitchen, which branched off from the sitting room, where they had spent a majority of the night. He paused outside the double-hinged door, watching as Envy seemed to be making breakfast. As he took in the full picture from the crack of the door, his breath caught in his throat.

Envy was singing.

It was wonderful, even without instruments. Envy's voice was melodious, intoxicating, and Ed felt his stomach fill with butterflies. The ex-thief either didn't know he was there, or he didn't care. The blonde suspected it was the former.

"Oh oh ohh, oh oh ohh, Mission twenty-four."

The Sin bustled around the medium-sized kitchen, continuing to sing as he moved from stirring a pan on the stove to rinsing something in the sink, to the counter where various things were laid out. He must have been concentrating hard; normally he would have been able to sense the blonde's eyes on him.

"Oh oh ohh, oh oh ohh, Mission twenty-four."

He suddenly sped up the song, more speaking the words than singing. Just as soon as that voice appeared, it was gone, and Envy sang several verses of a slow, smooth-tempo before singing the chorus again.

"Oh oh ohh, oh oh ohh, Mission twenty-four."

Envy bobbed his head, as if to a beat, stirring whatever was in the pan. He quickly went back to the odd speak-singing that Ed could only catch slight phrases of. At last the musical voice returned with a few lines, then some quick countdowns.

"3-2, 1 go!"

Singing the verse before the chorus, Envy took a loaf of bread out of the kitchen fire pit, carrying it to a spare potholder to rest and cool. He then sang the chorus twice.

"Oh oh ohh, oh oh ohh, Mission twenty-four."

As he finished singing, the ex-thief looked around at his handiwork, surveying the breakfast he had made. He seemed happy, and began to head towards the door, sending Ed into a panic. He didn't want to be caught listening at the door! He backpedaled towards the hallway, turning just as the door opened, trying his best to look as if he had just woken up.

"Ah, you're up. I was just coming to wake you."

Ed nodded, rubbing at one eye with his flesh hand, hoping it presented an innocent front.

"Come on." Envy said gently, obviously believing the façade. He reached for the blonde's arm. "I made breakfast." He steered the pharaoh to a chair placed at a wooden dining table, then left him in favor of returning through the double-hinged door. Ed felt his stomach rumble lowly at the aromas wafting from the swinging door.

There was some clattering of dishes, and several minutes passed before Envy came back. His left arm, held straight out, was stacked with five dishes, carrying a stack of two empty plates and one bowl of fruit in his right. He had backed out the door, so Ed didn't see him until the Sin was halfway to the table. When he did see him however, the blonde nearly leapt out of his seat.

"Sit down." Envy's eyes flickered briefly to the pharaoh, who complied, but watched warily in case he needed help. "I do this all the time at work. It's fine." He passed the dishes in his right arm to the blonde, then began unloading the platters on his left arm.

"You didn't have to do this." Ed protested somewhat weakly as he helped set the table.

"I wanted to. It's been a while since I've actually had human company for a meal." The ex-thief handed utensils to the blonde, then turned back to the kitchen. "What do you want to drink?"

"Anything that's not alcoholic." Ed's left fingers were rubbing steadily at his temple, eyes closed momentarily in pain. "Ugh, what happened last night?" Golden orbs opened again when he heard Envy laugh, smiling when the Sin turned away and couldn't see it.

"We drank too much while playing cards. I'm assuming you've had alcohol before, but never that much. To be honest, neither have I." Envy replied as he disappeared into the kitchen again.

"Here you go, water." As the pharaoh gratefully took a drink, the ex-thief twisted off a cap to a small bottle. He shook some of whatever the content was into his hand, then passed it to the other.

Ed peered suspiciously at the tiny script written on the side of the bottle, glancing inside at the small white pills. "What is this? It looks like Havoc's bottle he uses after getting drunk."

Envy tilted his head back and swallowed several of the pills in one gulp. "It is, or was. When he and Fury came to search, I had a big headache from the night before. Obviously that Havoc guy could tell, and tossed me the pills."

"And you took them?!" The golden eyes were wide with shock. Envy blinked.

"Why not? He was an officer, as well as someone under your command, so why would it be dangerous?"

"Well, what if it was someone trying to poison you or something?! You just took them?! Wait a second." Ed stopped his rant, and his eyes became serious. "When did they come here?"

Envy became even more confused. "The day after you caught the Seven Sins." The blonde noticed that the ex-thief didn't take any credit for himself. "They said they had orders to search the place."

"Orders from whom?" Edward's eyes were narrowed now, anger now pooling in their depths.

"They just said it was orders from the boss. I didn't ask them to specify, because I figured it was you, or someone under you."

"I never sent anybody."

Envy just hummed quietly, showing that he heard, but continued eating. He didn't care much, because there was no reason to worry. He gently reassured the blonde, and Ed tried his best to push the thoughts out of his mind.

They spent the rest of breakfast in a comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company. When the meal was over, some of the plates still had food on them, something Ed had never expected to see. "Wow," he breathed, leaning back contentedly. "That was a lot for two people."

Envy laughed again. "Well, at least there's not much left. I hadn't even realized I'd made so much until I set it all up." He stood and began carefully layering the dishes in his arms. "We used to trade off making food, and when we did we always made a lot, so if anyone got hungry, all they had to do was heat it up."

Edward nodded. For some reason, he didn't care about all the trouble the other Sins had caused, not right then. He stood and offered to help clean up, to which Envy readily accepted. Although the Sin wouldn't show it, he was grateful for the company.

"I'll wash, you dry, okay?"

Ed nodded again in response, pulling a cloth from the indicated drawer. Soaked up to his elbows in the warm water, Envy started with the plates, because the pots and pans he had used were already clean. They both worked methodically, their minds wandering.

Envy brushed his fingers lightly around for each piece of silverware, being careful so he didn't cut himself on the knives. He washed everything thoroughly with a soaped up rag, rinsed it in the water, then handed it off to the blonde, who wiped it down and placed it to the side.

At first he didn't notice it, but after a while Ed picked up a humming noise. It brought him slowly out of his thoughts, and golden eyes focused on the Sin before glancing away again. He listened carefully, enjoying it, almost positive that Envy did this unconsciously.

Envy stopped when all the dishes were clean again, gleaming in the sunlight from the window. He drained the sink and tossed the cloth to the side, rinsing off the excess soap that stubbornly clung to his arms.

Absently, Ed stared out the window, measuring the sun's height in the sky. "I should get home soon…They're probably wondering where I've been."

Envy nodded. "It's not as easy a life as everyone thinks, is it?"

The blonde jumped; unaware he had been speaking out loud. "No, it's not. Your family and friends are in constant danger because of your position, as well as the people you're supposed to protect."

Envy nodded again. They simultaneously walked towards the door, the blonde pulling his hair back so the desert wind wouldn't blow it into disarray. He just left it in a simple ponytail instead of the usual braid, not wanting to struggle with it. The Sin picked up Ed's coat from the chair, where he had left it night before, helping the other into it.

"Thanks," Ed murmured gratefully, a tinge of red brushing his cheeks. "For everything."

"Any time." Envy replied, smiling softly.

Outside it was bright and sunny, but a merciful cooling breeze blew nearly constantly. Silently, Envy led Dusk, the black and white pinto, out into the open. Climbing onto his back, he extended his hand to the pharaoh and pulled him up. As Ed settled carefully behind him, the Sin eased into a trot, then into a faster canter.

The blonde's arms circled around his waist, laughing into his back. "Envy!"

Smirking, Envy moved into a gallop, their laughter being swept away by the wind.

XXXXX

Gasping for breath from laughing so much, Ed climbed down in front of the palace gates. "Thanks for bringing me all the way back here, Envy."

Envy smiled back. "No problem."

"I'll see you later." The blonde turned to head inside, but stopped at the Sin's quiet tone.

"Hey, Ed."

The blonde turned back around.

"If you ever need help, come find me, okay? I'll help you." Envy didn't really know why he was saying this, but he knew it was completely true.

"The same to you." He replied, grinning big enough to somewhat hide the stain on his cheeks.

Amethyst orbs met golden, before the two parted ways.

XXXXX

Envy walked casually down the road, nodding to the people who smiled and waved. His horse followed behind him, obediently following his steps. They passed numerous stalls, but Envy stopped abruptly at one them. Slender fingers gently picked up a displayed book, flipping to a random middle page.

Amethyst eyes scanned the page, taking in several captions and pictures before snapping the book closed gently. Giving a signal for the horse to wait there, he pulled out his wallet and dropped the coins into the shopkeeper's hand.

"Planning on becoming an alchemist?" The shopkeeper smiled.

Envy shook his head.

"Studying then?"

The Sin smiled. "You could say that." He turned away, making sure he was far enough away so the man didn't catch what he said next. "More like I want to know everything about it so I'm not surprised anymore. I don't want to feel unprepared ever again."

At last they reached the outskirts of the city, the ex-thief slipping easily onto Dusk's back. Stowing the book away so that it was held securely in his lap, Envy headed back towards the hideout, fully intent on resting on his day off.

XXXXX

Envy placidly gave one last look outside. The sky was a clear blue, and even though the desert sand was desperate for water, the two clashed beautifully. He turned back and shut the door, humming softly to himself. His thoughts were circling around the blonde, and he absently began singing as he headed to his room. It was his day off today, the only day Vivian insisted he take a break, because she worried about him working all week.

"This is what I brought you, this you can keep.

This is what I brought, you may forget me.

I promise to depart, just promise one thing,

Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep."

It was an old lullaby he remembered his brother singing to him. He used to sing until Envy fell asleep, rhythmically rubbing his hair. Head nodding to a beat only he could hear, the Sin walked down the hallway, unlocking the bottom drawer of his desk and rummaging under the old maps and building plans. At last he unearthed the small black book that was hidden at the bottom, flicking it open and flipping through pages filled with inked handwriting.

"This is what I brought you, this you can keep.

This is what I brought, you may forget me.

I promise you my heart, just promise to sing,

Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep."

Sitting down in the chair and opening to a fresh page, Envy carefully began detailing the events that had happened, noting down reactions and other important notes. He also marked down special passages of dialogue, continuing to sing softly as he worked.

"This is what I thought, I thought you need me,

This is what I thought, so think me naive,

I promise you a heart, you promised to keep,

Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep."

He snapped the book shut, dropping the pen next to the ink pot before peeling off his clothes. Stepping into the adjoining bathroom, he quietly murmured the last line as he turned on the water.

"Kiss my eyes and lay me to…sleep."

XXXXX

Envy paused as he heard the distinct sound of the door opening, eyes narrowing. Throwing the towel he was using to dry his hair aside, he quietly padded into his adjoining bedroom.

Amethyst eyes widened in shock. "What? What are you doing here?!"

**Okay……..**

**There really is no excuse this time for my lateness, except I've had no inspiration, and life is absolutely terrible right now. Instead of divulging all of the personal problems of my life, I'm just going to hand it off to my editors. I love you guys; thanks for sticking around while I was…off.**

**And to my readers/reviewers, who have also stuck around, thank you! I wrote stuff here and it turned out horrible, so as I was reediting, I found a plot hole! A PLOT HOLE!!!!!! So I had to go back and rewrite it….ugh. I do have many things scribbled down for the future though, so hopefully it won't take as long as this one.**

Omg, another great chapter! Come on guys, you know the drill! Please review for another wonderful chapter!! REVIEW!

**Also, as another note, I just posted another Edvy fic, a one-shot. Random, angsty, not at all the wonderful fluff this chapter provided. Lol. Anyway, if you would like, please read that one as well!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: Kai and Vivian both belong to me. Fullmetal Alchemist belongs to Hiromu Arakawa, I simply added my own plot.**

_Chapter 19: The Twists and Blessings of Fate_

"What are you doing here?! You're supposed to be locked up!"

Pride smirked, and Lust seemingly appeared out of nowhere, confusing the distracted Envy that spun around in a near panic.

"Envy, that wasn't very nice" she cooed sadly placing a hand dramatically over her heart. "It wasn't very pleasant in that cell, and it hurts to knowthat you betrayed us."

Iron grips encircled his wrists, pulling his slender frame against a much broader one. A growl burst out of his throat before he could stop it, instinct making his neck twist viciously to snap at Greed's hand. Greed laughed; a cruel, mocking sound that betrayed how little he feltthreatened.

Envy's attention turned back to Pride as he spoke. "You remember what we do to people who betray us, right?" He stayed silent, but he remembered all too well learning the 'golden rule' of the Seven Sins.

/Flashback/

Envy bit the inside of his lip as Pride continued to draw the Ouroboros mark on his thigh. He tasted blood, from the cut he was giving himself, but could do nothing about it. The new mark hurt badly, but he wouldn't tell these people that.

"There's one last rule, Envy" Sloth told him from her place near Pride. "Don't _ever_betray us. Do so," A knife slashed through the air, giving Envy a small slice on his shoulder, the blade quivering dangerously close to the vital vein on his neck. "And you will die…"

/End Flashback/

Feigning calm, Envy scoffed and tried to twist out of Greed's grasp. "I don't know how you escaped, but there's no way in hell I'm dying. In fact, I'd love nothing more than to kill you all."

"Really now? You, all by yourself, think you can take out every singleone of us?" Pride's smirk was growing, his one eye practically glowing with something the Sin couldn't identify. "We've also gotten some hired help, more than one hundred strong young men. Can you take them out too?"

Growling again, he ignored Pride's jabs and kept writhing, wanting to break free. He kicked at Greed's leg, aiming for the hole he had received when Envy stabbed him, but missed, and earned a well-aimed kick in return. The leader's next words stopped him cold, his heart thudding painfully in his chest.

"We're going to break him, and you're going to help us with it."

"And why the hell do you think I'll do anything you say?" Envy snapped, knowing exactly who Pride meant by 'him'. "You hold no power over me."

It seemed Pride's smirk was mirrored on many faces that night. "Because if you don't, we'll kill the pharaoh right then and there, and you can have the front row seat" Greed's answer hissed in his ear. "You don't think we spent all that time away doing nothing, do you? We are older than you, and know many ways to kill slowly, to make the victim beg for death, ready to give anything for mercy. Are you willing to subject your precious Pharaoh to that?"

They had hit his weakness, and they knew it. Defeated, Envy slumped in the elder Sin's grip, his head hanging slightly. "Alright. What do you want me to do?"

XXXXX

Footsteps clicked quietly through the hall, and Roy glanced up from his paperwork as Ed entered the office, although confusion washed through him as the blonde's full glare was trained on him. Ed stopped before the desk, arms folded across his chest.

"Why did you send Havoc and Fury to the hideout?"

Roy blinked, rubbing his eyes tiredly. Stifling a yawn, he answered, "When was that?"

The blonde's left eye twitched slightly. "The day after we went and caught the Seven Sins, with Envy's help? You sent the two over in the morning, to search the place."

Roy's eyes flickered with recognition. "Ah, right. I remember now…What was the question again?"

Ed's hands slammed on the desk, startling the dark haired general. "Why did you send them? What was the point if Envy had already proved he was trustworthy?"

Roy leaned back in his chair, gently picking up the coffee mug on the desk and swirling the murky contents. "You might be able to trust people quickly, to give them a second chance, but others don't have that way of thinking. Just because you trust him, doesn't mean that others do right away. I was worried."

"About what?" the blonde had stood upright again, listening intently.

"About you." The general closed his eyes, tipping his head back against the support of the seat. "I just wanted to make sure he wasn't going to hurt you. Besides," he shifted, placing the coffee mug back on the desk, then folded his arms across his waist. He yawned. "I figured it to be a responsibility of mine, to," he yawned again. "Check him out…"

He trailed off, and Ed realized the older man had somehow fallen asleep, his breathing even. He had noticed the bags under Roy's eyes, and wondered why he wasn't getting enough sleep.

Shaking his head of those thoughts, the blonde pulled at the soft blanket that lay over the edge of the couch, bringing it over and folding it to cover the hard wood that lay beneath the general's head.

"Don't worry so much. I'm sure you have enough on your plate already" Ed whispered gently. "Besides, I can take care of myself. Thank you for worrying though." He stood and moved quietly across the room, giving one last "Sleep well" over his shoulder.

As the door snapped shut, one dark obsidian orb cracked open. Roy yawned once more, glad the confrontation was over. Glancing wearily at the half-completed paperwork, he figured he had done enough to earn himself a cat nap, and closed his eyes again.

XXXXX

Closing the door to the office, Ed turned around as the soft sound of clicking met his ears. "Good morning, Riza."

Riza, blonde hair pulled back into its usual sensible clip, carried a folder with a fair size stack of papers. Her dog, Black Hayate, padded next to her, easily keeping up with her strides. She smiled at him. "Good morning, Edward."

She peeked into the office, rolling her eyes at Roy snoozing. "Sleeping again. You'd think he was an old man, taking naps all the time." She passed the blonde the file. "That's everything important that happened yesterday, along with the paperwork you didn't do."

Ed blanched, flipping it open and glancing at the top sheet. "Why has he been so tired lately?"

Riza sighed, closing the door once more. "That's my fault. I've been waking him up early every morning with my morning sickness. That, and he's probably stressing out too much about the baby."

Ed nodded, taking a moment to process it. "Wait, what?!"

Riza only laughed at his reaction.

"Hold on! When did that happen?"

Riza smirked, a grin that was better suited and more seen on a certain dark-haired general. "Well, when a man and woman love each other very much-"

The blonde's face quickly went through several shades of bright red, settling on a deep maroon. "Not that!" He shook his head, as if clearing it of thought. "That's good to hear though. Congratulations!"

She smiled again. "Thank y-" She was cut off again as she went pale, quickly running to the nearest thing she could find –a plant- and promptly began throwing up. With little in her stomach, she soon began simply heaving, which subsided to pants.

Ed hurried to her side, rubbing her back soothingly while Black Hayate whined sympathetically at their feet. A bell echoed through the halls, signaling to the nobles that a meal was ready.

When at last Riza's shaking began to stop, she sat back and sighed. "Thank you" she murmured, accepting the napkin he transmuted from the leaves of the plant.

"No problem," he replied, still slightly worried for her. "Do you want to go down to lunch, or should I walk you to your rooms?"

The woman's face went white again at the mention of food, and shook her head slowly, so as not to get dizzy.

"You need to eat at least something." Roy came over and produced a handkerchief, silently helping her clean up. "You need to keep up your health."

Ed looked from the doorway to the couple, trying to figure out exactly when Roy had woken up.

"Sorry, did I wake you up?" Riza asked.

Roy shook his head, smiling. "I wasn't asleep, I was just resting my eyes." He sulked. "And I'm not old."

"Come on," he pulled her gently to her feet, steadying her. "Lunch now."

They began to walk away, Black Hayate trotting at their heels. Over her shoulder Riza called, "I want to see that paperwork done by the end of the week!"

Ed laughed, then returned to his rooms, not hungry after the huge breakfast at Envy's. Once the door shut he sighed, glaring at the folder that looked like it had gotten bigger. He sighed and sat down at the vacant desk, quickly reading the sheets and signing those that needed his mark.

Slowly, like an infectious disease, a smile spread over his lips, and he found he was unable to stop it from growing. The ride home of almost constant laughter had left his ribs aching, but he didn't mind. He hadn't laughed so much in a long time.

XXXXX

Envy was distracted, that much was obvious.

More than once he had almost mixed the wrong drink, and nearly dropped several sweat slicked glasses he had no trouble picking up before. Vivian thought it had only been a one day thing, but when it continued for the rest of the week, she suggested that he take some time off.

"Don't you need me here?" he protested.

The bartender shook her head. "Kai's working tonight, so I'll just ask him to help out for a couple of days." She smiled softly, as if she knew something he didn't. "Go see him. It'll do you some good, I think."

Envy opened his mouth to reply, but Vivian had already turned back to the kitchen, humming softly to herself. Smiling, the Sin hung up his apron and left, letting the peeking woman think as if he was ecstatic to be let go for a while. However, as soon as he was out of sight, his grin dropped, smashing onto the ground in a million tiny pieces, unable to be fixed.

Paying absentmindedly for some fruit that would serve as lunch, he walked in a near straight path through the city, heading in one direction. As soon as he reached the palace walls, he scrambled up the sides of a nearby hut, perching lightly on the roof.

Avoiding boards that looked unstable, Envy made his way to the other side, so he was as close to the palace as he could be without leaving the town, settling cross-legged on the edge.

He scoured the area around him one last time, then turned to his "lunch". It was kind of fruit he had never seen before, red and yellow in color and oval-like in shape. The vender had warned him cautiously not to eat the skin, so he pulled out a small knife and began peeling back the outside layers. Much to his surprise, the fruit was a bright yellow on the inside, the sticky juice running over his fingers.

It didn't smell bad, so he figured it was safe to eat. Besides being incredibly sweet, he found that it was very ripe, and was cautious not to let the liquid stain anything. Concentrating on slicing it into edible pieces, all thoughts and stress fled to the back of his mind, hands working methodically.

XXXXX

In the library, Ed found it a little easier to focus on his book than in his room. The library had lots of comfortable furniture suitable for curling up in. Luckily he finished all the paperwork for the week, and no new reports were due until next week, so he had some time to laze about.

The windows were open, sunlight pouring in and the curtains shifting on the slight wind. On sudden impulse, he looked out, golden eyes sweeping the courtyards and the edge of the city. Orbs roaming longer than he had planned, he spotted a prominent object of his thoughts hunched over on a nearby rooftop.

His heart began to hammer, blood pulsating loudly in his ears.

Checking to make sure no one was watching, he crept to the balcony, being sure to pull on his bright red coat, eyes locked on the Sin the entire time.

XXXXX

Envy looked up, swallowing the rest of the fruit in one last mouthful. He knew he was being watched, and glanced around. His gaze flew over the palace, and amethyst eyes immediately spotted the pharaoh's body, covered in red cloth.

Though he was too far away to make out facial features, Ed could still see when Envy seemed to stretch, one arm lifting in the air and moved from side to side. With a jolt he realized the Sin was waving at him, showing that he knew he was there. The blonde waved back, uncaring and doubtful that anyone saw him.

Envy smiled and jumped off the roof, licking the remnants of the fruit juice from his fingers. As soon as the grin had appeared, it disappeared as the Sin remembered the little 'job' he was supposed to do. There was just one problem.

How was he supposed to do it?

XXXXX

"Roy, I'm going out for a while, okay?"

Trying to seem unhurried, Ed checked one last time to make sure he had everything, his wallet tucked away in his jacket pocket. He had only stayed at the palace for dinner, not wanting to look desperate to see the Sin again.

Roy smirked. "Are you coming home tonight?"

The blonde mirrored his grin. "Maybe, maybe not. Don't wait up, just in case."

In a flash, the general was all serious again. "Be careful, okay?"

"Yeah. See you later."

As he stepped outside, Ed squinted in the setting sun. It was the perfect height to get in one's eyes, but it was brilliant nonetheless. The sun was no more than a half circle on the horizon, bleeding the sky vibrant oranges and reds, before fading into the dark blue-turned-black of night. It lit his path to the bar, then covered his footsteps in shadows.

XXXXX

Envy had returned to the bar, a small secret smile playing on his lips. That act alone was enough for Vivian to let him return, thinking him happy. He managed to keep up the façade for the rest of the day, concentrating so that he didn't make any mistakes. He also managed to keep his thoughts far away from his 'job'.

Until he spotted a golden-haired head entering quietly, making his way to an empty table.

Feeling his heart begin to throb with anxiety, the Sin lifted a glass of white wine to his lips, then made his way over.

"Can I help you?"

Envy hated that line, but it was the only way he could think to present a working image, despite the smirking blonde. "I'll just have water, please."

"Sure."

The Sin was given a few more minutes to steel himself as he mixed the drink, and time enough for one last large swallow of alcohol.

As he set the drink down carefully, Envy leaned over, closer to the blonde. "Will you wait until my shift is over? I want to show you something."

Ed nodded, and was content to sit and nurse his drink until Vivian shooed even the saddest drunk from the bar. Then he stood and once again helped clean up, stacking chairs on tables.

As he reached for another chair, someone also placed a hand on it.

"Hey, Viv! Did you hire him too?"

The blonde quickly retracted his hand, stepping back. "Sorry. I was just helping."

The man grinned. An azure bandana was tied in a knot around his head, accentuating the rest of his attire. Short black hair shadowed glinting silver-blue eyes in shaggy bangs, just barely hiding the silver shine of a hoop pierced through the tip of his ear. He wore a long sleeved white shirt, covered with a fancy dark blue vest, but made it casual by leaving it un-tucked over black slacks. "I was kidding. Feel free to do the work. So long as I get paid, I'm fine."

Vivian swatted his arm. "This is Kai. He usually works when Envy doesn't."

"Which doesn't happen too often. The guy practically _lives_ here!" Kai threw a mock glare over his shoulder, laughing.

Envy laughed as well, hefting his violin case and heading over to them. "Don't worry, you'll have plenty of work to do. I'm taking Vivian's suggestion and taking some time off."

"You are?" Even Vivian was shocked.

He smiled at her. "Yeah. About a week or so. Okay with you?"

Kai nodded, although he didn't look too excited. As he entertained Ed with meaningless talk, the bartender stepped aside with the Sin for a moment.

"You will come back, won't you?" She murmured, her eyes worried.

Envy smiled again. "Of course. I'm not about to let my only source of income slip away!" He let his eyes glance over to the blonde. "I have been working a lot lately, so I think it'd be nice to take a vacation. Perhaps I'll go south or something, visit relatives."

Vivian smiled back. "That sounds nice. Have a good time, okay?"

"Sure."

After saying their goodbyes, the two left, Envy taking the lead. The moon was slowly climbing across the sky as Vivian locked the place up for the night. Kai whistled.

"So _that_ was the pharaoh?"

"Yup."

"Nice guy."

"Yup."

"But could they be any more obvious?!"

The bartender laughed. "How did you know?"

Kai shrugged. "Once you get used to observing people, you pick up on things really fast."

Vivian could only howl with laughter as he began dissecting his workmate's actions.

XXXXX

Envy was walking a little ahead, body stiff and tense as if he expected to be attacked at any moment. Finally Ed couldn't take it anymore.

"Hey, Envy, are you okay?"

Envy stopped, nodding, his body loosening only slightly. They were at the edge of the city, but for a while now, he hadn't quite met the blonde's eyes. Suddenly, the Sin turned and hugged him.

Stiffening, Ed's face broke into a fierce heat, the blush deepening as their bodies were pressed close together. All color drained however, when he felt the cold bitterness of a knife being pressed against his back.

He swallowed, trying to dislodge the painful lump that had formed there. "Envy? What's going on?"

The Sin pulled him tighter, although the knife followed just as close. "I'm sorry," he whispered, almost inaudibly. "I'm so sorry."

The blonde started struggling, the stench of chemicals starting to permeate the air around him. His vision began to waver, although arms caught him as he fell, foul laughter rippling through his hazy hearing. The last thing he saw was Greed, approaching Envy to thump him on the back, like he was congratulating the other.

**Finally! This was another one that was hard to crank out. Now all that's left is to send it to the editors. Don't expect Kai to show up much, not as much as Vivian anyway…I just needed someone to work when Envy doesn't.**

**I might scan in my little sketch of Kai…and post it on my Deviantart account…But it's not good at all; I just needed a little picture of him for myself. If someone really wants to see it, well, I suppose I could. As of right now though, it'll just stay with the rest of my hand-written work.**

blueeyedchibi: _That was a terrible, terrible cliffhanger, wasn't it? I don't get to read the next chapter until you guys review, so hop to it!_

**Panic's note ---**

**OMG! I have to know what happens next! What about you? REVIEW and the next chapter will come quickly!**


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